Altered Destiny
by Shezza
Summary: AU: Rand al’Thor accompanies Tam to Baerlon when he is six, and runs into an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah who discovers he could channel. He is taken to Tar Valon and gentled. What is to become of the Dragon Reborn?
1. Baerlon: Captured and the Gentling

**A/N- I just recently read Wheel of Time 11: Knive of Dreams and this plot bunny popped into my head. I browsed through and to my utter horror, saw a lack of decent WOT stories. Though it is hard to compete with the utter brilliancy with Robert Jordan, I will give a pale imitation in trying. One thing for those who are reading...I don't want to readany reveiws telling me update my other stories...it get's annoying.

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_**AU: Rand al'Thor accompanies Tam to Baerlon when he is six, and runs into an Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah who discover his could channel. He is taken to Tar Valon and gentled. What is to become of the Dragon Reborn?**_

**_NOTE: It would be good if you at least a basic knowledge of Wheel of Time universe_

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Rand al'Thor was six years old when he travelled with his father to Baerlon. Not that he knew it at the time, but his father had once been second in command of the Companions, and had served in both the Whitecloak war and the Aiel War. Tam al'Thor had earned the rare and revered rank of Blademaster, and had made many friends. The purpose of this visit had been to visit some of these friends. What Rand encountered was something much more, something that changed his destiny.

* * *

Rand stared at awe at the buildings and log walls of Baerlon. A villager from the Two Rivers, this moderately large town seemed like the cities of legends. He clutched his father's hand desperately as Tam led Sooty inside the gates. The pathways were full of people, chatting and laughing as they bartered and swapped stories. Rand stared with wide eyes as he was led into a large house, four stories high. Inside was a bar and a common room, with a musician playing tunes of a pipe.

"Welcome to the Stag and Lions inn." Said a large man, almost as large as Master al'Vere, with white bushy hair springing from his head, as he came from behind the bar while wiping his hands on a dirt white rag. His eyes flickered from Tam to Rand and he gave a small smile and winked.

"I am looking for Fitz Windsinger." Tam said politely.

"Yes, I know him. He's on the third floor, room six." The Innkeeper said, nodding to himself. He suddenly caught a look at the plain leather scabbard on Tam's waist and the hilt of the sword and his mouth dropped. A small heron was engraved on the hilt and suddenly the Innkeeper was more wary.

"Thankyou." Tam said mildly as he turned away. "Rand, would you like to stay in the common room and listen to the musicians."

Rand nodded excitedly as he scuttled over towards the musician.

After a while, the musician left and Rand felt the ebbing of loneliness stir within him. HE wished that Perrin or Mat were here. Suddenly somebody sat down next to him and he jumped around, alarmed.

A young girl sat there, maybe seven or eight, with black soot on her face and her dark haired cut short. She wore boy's clothes and for a moment, Rand thought she was a boy.

"Hi." The girl said, tilting her head to stare at him with dark eyes.

"Hello." Rand said weakly.

"You're strange, you know." The girl said abruptly. "I can all kinds of things from you, most people never have more than one or two in their lives."

"You can see things?" Rand asked, his curiosity piped.

The girl nodded. "I see them around you. I see a broken sword, a crown of glory, three women standing side-by-side, fire, blood, and death. I see terrible things…. and great things!"

Rand edged away from the girl, who noticed and sighed.

"You don't believe me. Nobody else does either. I'm Min Farshaw." She said, almost as an afterthought.

"Rand al'Thor." Rand said slowly.

Min gave a grin and bounced out of her seat, dragging the unsuspecting Rand with her. She saw something else, something she couldn't quite comprehend at her age. Nonetheless, she stowed it away at the back of her mind and was content to play with her new friend.

* * *

It was on the third day in Baerlon, when Rand and Min were wandering the town (against Tam's orders) when things went wrong. As Rand scooted from the busy street with Min ahead of him, he felt somebody grab him by the shoulder and push him in an alley. Rand turned around with a fearful expression on his face to see a pack of nasty and dirty youths stood there.

"Hello little boy." The one who held his shoulder hissed.

Rand struggled, squirming and whimpering as the grip tightened.

"Give us your money."

"I-I don't have any!" Rand cried out.

A dirt-covered youth with a mangled nose gave a bark of a laugh. "I do be telling you," he crowed in a strange accent. "Children do be not carrying gold in Baerlon."

The youth holding his shoulder let him go and pushed him to the ground. He reached inside his tattered clothes and pulled out a stained and battered knife. He approached Rand, who scrambled back and flung out his hands instinct. What happened next surprised both the gang and Rand.

For Rand, a complex set of thin like strings, humming and glowing with power erupted from his hands, wrapping themselves in a delicate pattern. For a moment his senses were overloaded, the air smelled sweeter, he could see the tiny beads of sweat on the youth in front of him as if it had been shoved under his eyes and warmth blazed in him like a wildfire as an avalanche of heat surged through him. For a moment Rand though he would fall into the chaotic tumbling but he 'balanced himself' just as the taint hit him. His senses were suddenly clouded with a slick oily substance. He could smell rotting meat, dead carcasses been out in the sun to long and he retched and let go of the feeling, throwing the weave away from him.

For the gang of youths, the small boy flung out his hands and suddenly a wave of air slammed them back. There were cries of pain as bones broke and boys were sent tumbling away, before the air stopped and the young boy suddenly retched and threw up.

"You can channel!" One of the youth's gasped outloud, a sudden look of terror in his eyes.

* * *

The greatest magic known to the world was the use of the One Power, channelled from the True Source. There were two sections to the source, _Saidar _and _Saidan_, for the females and males respectively. However, in the current time, only Saidar was channelled. It is common knowledge that the Dark One (_never speak His name) _had been bound in Shayol Ghul the moment after the creation by the Creator. Three thousands years ago, in the Age of Legends where the world was different and towers rose from the ground and cities were spread over the world, somebody drilled a hole into the Dark One's prison and weakened it. The Dark One could not escape but He could influence the world and spread chaos and war. For decades the forces of Light, led by Lews Telamon Therin the Dragon, the Prince of Morning, fought against the Dark One. Several powerful Channellers had converted during the war, thirteen in total, the Forsaken, and took new names. These names were still the names of horror to this day, Lanfear, Daughter of the Night, Ishmael, Betrayer of Hope, and so forth. The Light was losing the war when Lews Therin, with a hundred companions, led a task force to seal off the bore. Thank the light, the Forsaken had been in meeting at Shayol Ghul and were bound along with the Dark One. The mission had been successful...at a high price.

The Dark Ones counter strike, seconds before He was bound again, was horrible and broke the world. He used his powers to taint Saidan, driving male channelers instantly mad. Some of them drew in Saidan, as a dying man would take in water, taking in much more than what was safe and overloaded themselves. The overloads shattered the world, where ocean once was there was land, where land was there was ocean, where plains were now stood mountains. Cities were destroyed, billions killed.

Lews Therin earned the name Kinslayer, after his insanity drove him to strike down all those of his blood. In horror, he overloaded himself and the power of the explosion rippled throughout the world, dwarfing any other. Where he had once stood, a giant peak with jagged edges known as Dragonmount rose. Male Channelers are feared with reason.

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_The fight seemed to be over, with both sides losing. Prophecies indicate that the Dragon would be reborn in another age. The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go and repeat themselves. It was now the Third Age._

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Rand took no notice of the youths words, his head spinning as they scattered and ran away in terror. He could smell vomit that clung to his clothes and staggered upwards before he looked up. A tall woman, with pale hair and cold blue eyes stared at him with contempt and disgust. With no warning, Rand felt something strike him in the head and he sank into unconsciousness. As the woman picked up Rand, she didn't see Min peeking into the alley and darting off back to the Stag and Lions.

* * *

"Master al'Thor!" Min cried outloud as she sprinted inside the Stag and Lions. Tam looked up, his expression clearly not happen.

"Did I not forbid Rand to leave the Inn?" He said, his eyes dark with anger and worry.

"Master al'Thor, they took him!" Min spluttered.

Tam shot to his feet, his hand moving as a blur as his sword sprang from his sheath. All eyes turned to him as chatter died down.

"Who did?" Tam said quietly, his voice promising pain.

"Aes Sedai."

* * *

Aes Sedai literally stood for, Servants of All. They were the women who had been trained in the use of the One Power and served the White Tower. In reality, they were schemers and meddlers and manipulators if you talk to one person, Darkfriends, servents of the Dark One if you talk to another person, or the Light incarnate if you talk to yet another. Opinions of them varied, but everybody had one thing in common when it came to Aes Sedai...Be careful.

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Rand didn't remember much of his journey; he was kept inside a wagon for the majority of it. When he was let out, the tall women would do something and he could not open his mouth. Time went on as Rand stared at the inside of the walls, trapped and a prisoner. He was frightened and hurt. The women fed him and made him sleep, but he did not hear a word from her all journey. Some time later, he was suddenly slapped and awoke with a gasp. The woman grabbed his arm; her mouth thinned in disgust and took him out of the carriage. Rand stared in awe at the gigantic white tower in front of him, with spires and walls surrounding the awe-inspiring building. He knew where he was from merchant tales and gleeman stories…He was in Tar Valon, home of the Aes Sedai.

"Good day Katrina Sedai." A woman with flame covered hair and dark brown eyes said. She wore red robes and held herself up with an air of superiority. Her face was neither young nor old, and held a look of ageless that came with using the One Power over time.

"Mellda. Gather up eleven Sisters of the Red."

Mellda frowned as she took in Rand. "A Channeler?" She said, her mouth siting with disgust.

Katrina nodded curtly, dragging Rand along harshly.

* * *

Rand was in the middle of a circle with thirteen women in red around him. He shivered at the coldness of the air as he shied from the stern gazes. The women closed their eyes and Rand suddenly felt something slice into his mind, blocking him from something. He howled in a pain he could not understand as block cut through him and he blacked out.

* * *

Rand awoke to gentle chatter, his eyes closed.

"Really, to gentle a young child like him!" Came a disapproving and horrified voice.

"Would you have us let him grow into his powers?" A voice snapped back. "He is safe now."

"Poor thing, they never last long after being gentled."

Rand couldn't hold on after that and fell asleep.

When he awoke again, a sympathetic young woman in white clothes gave him new clothes. She led him to a room filled with women in white clothes, some who pointed at him, and gave him food. Rand devoured the food hungrily. He could feel a loss of something; the world had become a different place. It was duller, les interesting and Rand could feel apathy of life ebb away at him. The days went on, as Rand grew more and more lazy. He would stare at a wall blankly for hours on end, eating only when prodded.

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One day, when he was in Tar Valon's beautiful gardens, he heard a voice speak up behind him. He turned around to see a beautiful Aes Sedai, with black hair and sultry eyes frown at him.

"You must be Rand al'Thor." She said gently.

Rand licked his lips, his voice hoarse through disuse. "Yes."

"I am Alanna." The Aes Sedai said, her face a picture of sympathy. "Come, if you have nothing to do I shall find something for you." She took his hand and led him away.

Alanna led him to a courtyard where men fought with wooden swords. A bulky man with the grace of a panther turned to bow at Alanna.

"Mistress Aes Sedai." He greeted, his eyes flickering over at Rand, noting the skinny and depressed child for what he was.

"I have a new student for you." She said loudly, leaning in closer to say more quietly, "Keep him busy and occupied."

The man nodded and turned to face Rand. "Have you ever used a sword before boy?"

"No…but my Father has one." Rand answered slowly, his face brightening up at the mention of Tam. "It a nice one, with a heron branded on the hilt!"

The man stiffened and gave a small frown. "I wonder?" He muttered to himself, before turning back to Rand. "Very well boy, take one up, here!"

* * *

"Focus your emotions into a flame, your anger, your tiredness, force them all into a single candle flame and let yourself fall into the void." The weapons trainer instructed. "Again!"

Rand felt disconnected from his body. The tiredness of his arms, the heat he felt, they were all secondary concerns as he floated in a voice of apathy. In the void, he could feel the torn section of himself, the gentling done to him, but he ignored it and flowed through the sword drills.

"You're getting better. Now, Duck Under Pond…. good, follow through with Slicing the Silk…."

* * *

"Rand al'Thor!" Somebody shouted and Rand swivelled around from within the garden. A smile appeared on his face for the first time in months and he leaped towards Tam, burying himself in his father's arms. For the first time, he let himself cry and he sobbed as Tam rubbed his back.

"Come on Rand, we're going home."


	2. Blademaster Rand: Bel Tine and Goodbye

**A/N- Not many reviews, but I didn't expect this to become popular. Mainly, I'm writing this for myself.

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**I just had this rather nasty flame….**

**Shezza...YOU'RE A FREAKEN WANKER!  
**_(Only when I'm lonely...)_**  
For gods sake! Write a story and complete it properly before writing more!  
**_(Um…if I could, don't you think I would have done it by now?)_**  
You have many good stories that are really well written. Yet so many of them are abandoned.  
**_(Point to him)_**  
You have like a whole month of holidays left. Use them and finish your other stories properly before writing anymore, your retard**  
_(Congratulations, you can count. I don't think you can write though…so don't presume you can dictate how I write. Read Above…this is mainly for me, not you!)

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Tam smiled in relief as he led the carriage over the hill, where he could see the familiar thatched roofs of the town of Two Rivers. He glanced behind him, into the cart his horse was pulling and he sighed sadly at the sight of Rand staring at the sky with a blank expression on his face. He still remembered how he approached Tar Valon.

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**Flashback**

It had been a month since Rand had been taken, and Tam had never been more than four days behind the Aes Sedai kidnapper. He didn't know why Rand had been taken, though suspicions gnawed his bones, all he knew was that he was going to get his son back.

He eventually reached Tar Valon just hours after the Aes Sedai did, and learnt that Rand had been tried and convicted of Channelling and had been gentled. His heart had sunk with despair and he wanted nothing more than to go and find his child.

Unfortunately, the tower had been reluctant to release Rand. Tam had been turned back numerous times at the massive gates, and at one point had drawn swords with the Tower guards, only to be wrapped up in air and told to calm down. The Red Ajah seemed to want to keep all gentled men inside Tar Valon walls, even children.

Finally, he had met with another Aes Sedai named Alanna and he had been permitted to take his son back. Alanna had been a Green Ajah, and had been very sympathetic to Rand.

_(In the White Tower, there are three ranks of Aes Sedia. You become a Novice, then Accepted, then Aes Sedai. Once you become an Aes Sedai, you may choose an Ajah, or group, to join. These are designated by colours; Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Brown, Grey and White. Blue Aes Sedai seek out heroes and quests, Red Aes Sedai seek out male channelers to gentle, Yellow Aes Sedai are healers, Green Aes Sedai are warriors, ready for battle, Brown Aes Sedai seek knowledge, Grey Aes Sedai are negotiators and white Aes Sedai seek answers to philosophy and logic)_

**Flashback Over

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Tam had been warned about the effects of gentling and had noticed that Rand had fallen into despair. His eyes that had once been bright with a child's curiosity were dull and his movements were lethargic and slow. The only way to snap Rand out of it temporarily was to engage him in something exciting. Tam spent many a night instructing Rand in the use of a blade and telling stories of his adventures in other nations. It seemed to perk Rand up a bit, but in the day when Tam was leading the cart towards home, Rand would fall back into his despair. He only hoped that being back home would cure him.

As he approached Two Rivers, he nodded politely to called greetings from the various folk in the farms. He couldn't do anything to reverse the gentling but the least he could do was make sure that Rand spent the rest of his days happy.

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**Several Years later**

Rand had grown tall in the past few years, dwarfing any other child his age. At thirteen, he was tall with thick shoulders and reddish-brown hair, with dull grey eyes and a sword scabbard on his belt with a battered and thin blade. Rand had gotten it as a gift from Tam when the merchants had come into Two Rivers on their annual visit at the Bel Tine festival. He was the only person in Two Rivers to wear a sword, and Mistress al'Vere, who sat on the Woman's Council, would clamp her lips down every time she saw it.

"Hey Rand." Mat Cauthon greeted Rand, a mischievous smile on his face. Mat was shorter than Rand with brown eyes and always up to no good. No matter how depressed Rand ever felt, Mat would always manage to do something to make him feel better, whether stealing apples or getting switched...the latter happening more often than not. "Ready for Bel Tine?"

Rand gave a ghost of a grin, the biggest smile anybody could ever coax out of him. Some of the villagers had been wary of him when it had been discovered that he had once channelled, and that he had been gentled, but stern words from the Woman's Council _(Which practically ran the town, despite the protests of the men from the Village Council) _had stopped them from doing anything rash. Nowadays, there were few who would willingly converse with him, and Mat was one of them.

"I heard that they have fireworks this year…. straight from the Illuminators. I would love to know what's in them!" Mat sighed wistfully.

"I heard that Illuminators will doing anything to stop the secret getting out." Rand answered quietly. "The fireworks explode in the air if they're cut open."

"I know," Mat said with a sigh, before grinning again as a large teenager with thick arms the same age as Mat and Rand approached them.

Perrin Aybara strolled up smiling, his huge hands in his pocket. While not as tall as Rand, Perrin was bulging with muscles, even now as a teenager. As a blacksmiths apprentice, Perrin was calm and quiet and Rand had never seen him get truly angry before.

"I can't wait for the archery contest." Perrin greeted them. He smoothed his rough hair. "I'm sure I can win this year."

"Like last year?" Mat scoffed.

Perrin scowled slightly. "Like you did any better." He muttered. "What about you Rand, what competition are you going in?"

"Sword." Rand said softly. "Tam has decided that I'm ready for an exhibition match."

"Ah, good!" Mat exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "I've been wanting to see you use that rusty thing for a while!"

"MATRIM CATHON!"

"What did you do?" Perrin asked resignedly as Mat cringed under the power of the voice. A seventeen year old with dark flashing eyes and a pretty face stormed up, her long braided hair flapping. When a girl in the Two River reaches seventeen, they braid their hair a sign of womanhood. Nynaeve al'Maera had only recently gotten hers braided and Rand personally though that she was too eager to prove herself. That, and that Nynaeve was the Wisdom's apprentice. All towns in the area had a Wisdom, a woman skilled in herbs and matters of healing. Some could listen to the wind and predict weather.

"Where's Mistress al'Vere's freshly baked pie?" She demanded, tugging on her braid as if she was tugging on Mat's neck.

"I don't know!" Mat said, holding his hands out defensively, backing away from the irate teenager.

Nynaeve scowled. "You better tell me the truth, or I will give you a spanking!"

Mat's face paled as he backed away further. "I haven't touched any blasted pie!"

"Language Matrim." Came a cool voice and Rand, Mat and Perrin turned around to see a dark haired girl with her arms folded, her expression severe.

"Egwene." Rand greeted, bobbing his head. Egwene stared at him for a few minutes with those beautiful dark eyes and Rand sought the void, feeding his emotions to the imaginary flame and drawing his mind into a state of calmness. Egwene was a beautiful girl the same age as he was and seemed to be fixated on him. While most people avoided him, save for Mat and Perrin (_His two closest friends), _Nynaeve _(While pitying him, if he broke any rules he was sure to get a spanking regardless if he was the Light incarnate), _Egwene sought him out. Rand had a suspicion that Tam and Mistress al'Vere had been discussing betrothal plans for the two of them.

Egwene moved her eyes from his and turned to Mat. "Where is it?" She scowled.

"I didn't take it! Light, one thing goes missing and everybody accuses me!" Mat protested.

Nynaeve and Egwene sniffed at the same time and whirled around, their backs straight, proud and the perfect picture of indignation as they walked away.

* * *

Rand watched from the sidelines as Tam whirled his practise sword, slicing a welt in a competitors arm and making the man yelp and drop his wooden blade. Tam bowed his head at his opponent, who grumbled good-naturedly.

"Don't know why I bother." The grizzled man said, rubbing his arm.

Master al'Vere, a well-built man with a moustache stood forward. "Are there any of you who wish to challenge Tam al'Thor?"

The men in the crowd gave rueful grins, some of them nursing red welts from the lightning strikes of Tam.

"Go on!" Mat urged, nudging Rand in the stomach with his elbow and Rand stepped forward, his face expressionless.

"I, Rand al'Thor, challenge Tam al'Thor with the swords." Rand said clearly and concisely, his usual bored and vague feelings giving way to anticipation and excitement.

Tam nodded as Rand came into the circle that had been designated the duelling area. He looked at his practise sword and threw it down to the ground.

The villagers were dead silent as Tam walked over to a bundled cloak and withdrew his blade. It was a simple blade, with a bronze heron branded on the long hilt. The blade, very slightly curved and sharp on only one end, bore another heron etched into the steel. Short quillons, worked to look like a braid, flanked the hilt. It seemed fragile to the heavy broadswords that merchant guards carried around the Two Rivers, but Rand knew that that blade would never dull of break, and was as sharp today as it had been twenty years. He withdrew his own blade, a battered but workable dull longsword and stepped forward.

Tam bowed his head, before sliding his blade back in his sheath on his waist. For a moment Rand was confused, but Tam beckoned him with a small smile on his face and Rand jumped forward, his mind seeking the void. Calm descended on him, with everything else a faint echo, as he raised his blade, preparing to nick Tam, before he had to parry wildly as Tam lifted his blade still sheathed and swung his sword back, hurling the scabbard at him. Rand deflected the black leather as Tam moved forward, blade slicing through the air. There was a clang as the two blades connected, and then Tam and Rand danced. Tam was testing him, pushing only hard enough to see what he could do, then pushing a little harder, then just a little harder still. It was quick wrists and quick feet that kept Rand from being struck. The two fighters moved through the forms like water flowing in a stream, The Swallow Takes Flight met Parting the Silk. Moon on the Water met The Wood Grouse Dances. Ribbon in the Air met Stones Falling From the Cliff. They moved about the room as in a dance, and their music was steel against steel. For the villagers, this may have seemed like idiocy, a grown man fighting his thirteen year old son with blades of steel, but for Rand and Tam it was the test of a Blademaster against his apprentice. In Tam's eyes, if Rand were to win, he would be a Blademaster. True, officially Rand would need to perform a duel in front of a strict council to be legitimately recognized but if Rand were to defeat Tam, he would win the heron marked blade, the sign of a blademaster. He would have the skills to back up his sword.

Rand could faintly feel his muscles tiring, could feel small scratches on his arms and one on his back, could feel the heat beating down on him, but these were outside the void. Inside, there was Rand and the sword, flowing through the motions automatically. For seven years he had been training to achieve the rank of Blademaster after hearing the tales of his father as a soldier. Now, he was close to achieving it. As Hawk Soars Yonder met River undercuts Stone, Rand shifted sideways and automatically shifted his stance, his sword up and held by two hands above his head, leaving his ribs exposed. Tam quickly darted forward, blade whizzing as Rand thrust downwards as he felt cold steel touch his side.

For a moment, the two stood still, breathing heavily and staring into one another's eyes. Rand had his sword poised directly above Tam's heart, while Tam had the edge of his sword placed against his son's ribs.

"A draw…" Tam said softly.

Rand said nothing as he withdrew his blade and sheathed it, bowing his head to Tam who acknowledged it. Then thunderous applause came from around them and Mat hollered and cheered. Rand felt a blush come to his face and he stared at the ground as Master al'Vere slowly made his way over to the circle.

"Well, it's a draw then?" He asked, staring at Tam and Rand with reluctant admiration.

"No." Tam said loudly. "The chances of Rand surviving were low, but the chances of me surviving were zero. Rand is the winner."

Master al'Vere looked shocked for a minute, before shrugging it off and marking something down on a small leather-bound book. Tam turned back to Rand and unclipped his scabbard from his belt.

"Here you go son." Tam said, his eyes shining with pride. "You defeated a Blademaster, the blade is yours."

Rand reached for it slowly and took it from Tam's hands. "Thankyou Father." He whispered.

Tam smiled proudly. "You'll do something for the world Rand, I can feel it. Come, the archery contest is next."

Tam won the archery contest easily, not even Rand could aim as well as his father. As the sun went down and the merchants and peddlers let off their fireworks, Rand sighed. He had finally done it; he had defeated his father in a duel. But now what? Not for the first time, Rand felt an emptiness inside of him that once, not one day ago, had been filled with the desire to become a Blademaster. He knew what he needed to do…. he needed to find something else to pursue, something he was sure that the Two Rivers couldn't provide.

* * *

When he approached Tam with this the next day, the man had been very understanding and patient.

"I had expected something like this," Tam admitted slowly. "So I approached a peddler by the name of Patrak. He's the one who sells rugs and furs. He was very impressed by your abilities and when I mentioned that you might be leaving the Two Rivers, he begged for your services as a guard. Seems he's run into bandit trouble on the way here and he's escort got stuck in Whitebridge with an arrow wound. He's willing to pay forty silver's for an escort to Whitebridge, where he'll meet his guard."

Rand nodded slowly. "I better get packed." He said softly. He approached Tam and gave him a long hug.

The next day, just before dawn, a stream of merchant wagons and peddler vans left Two Rivers. In a wooden and battered van, a middle-aged man sat with a young boy, who looked back at his home before turning his eyes forward to the open road.

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_Note 1: For those who do read this, don't think so incredulously that Rand is a Blademaster. In Book 2, Lan said that with 5 years he could have Rand a Blademaster, Tam has had Rand for seven years and spent every single day practising and teaching. _


	3. Merchant Guard: Whitecloaks and Bandits

**A/N- Just Another Guy- **Don't you have anything better to do than flame me? Personally, I couldn't care what you think. You're just adding a review count to my story. But…keep insulting me and I will promise you that I will never, EVER touch my other stories again…how's that "Jack-ass?"

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To all other reviewers, though there aren't a lot of you, I hope you enjoy this story. Though I will admit, I'm used to writing HP fanfiction…I've unconsciously written Harry instead of Rand seven times already.

_Note: I've never read New Spring, though I know it's about Lan and Moiraine meeting. I actually don't know if they've met by this time, or what they would have been doing in the series.

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Patrak was a middle-aged man with thick brown hair and a crinkled smile. He had been hauling furs and rugs from Illian since he was fifteen and was moderately average in the use of a broadsword. He also had a fair amount of skill with the flute, and when the caravan was settled down for the knight and the horses fed and groomed, he would teach Rand some simple songs.

Rand and Patrak travelled for two days before they reached Baerlon. As Rand gazed at the walled city, he shudder slightly as he remembered the last time he had visited- attacked by street youths, wielding the dangerous, tainted yet oh so perfect and intoxicating _saidin_, being discovered and kidnapped by Aes Sedai. Still, he had a few good memories in the town, including a friend he had almost forgotten.

"Patrak, my good friend!" Boomed the innkeeper of Stag and Lions.

"Master Fitz, age has dulled your looks!" Patrak exclaimed with a smile on his face, embracing the old man.

"Your father would thrash you solid if he heard you talking about me like that." Master Fitz scoffed.

Rand watched the exchange neutrally, lurking in the shadows. His hand flittered towards his sword for a few seconds as he noticed several patrons of the inn glance up from their food.

"Was the Two River run successful?" Master Fitz asked.

"Quite. The economy there is quite pitiful, only a silver for my best rug! But Two Rivers Tabac is the best leaf this side of Andor, and I managed to buy several barrels quite easily, the proceeds should fetch me several gold marks." Patrak answered. "I also picked up a temporary guard."

"Yes, I heard about the bandit attack. It used to be that the Queen Guard would patrol the highway much more carefully than they do now." Master Fitz said, rubbing his beard. "I heard that the Whitecloaks are beginning to stir trouble in Caemlyn. Maybe that is the reason for the lack of guards…where is your guard?"

Patrak turned around and spotted Rand skulking the shadows. "He is young, but a brilliant swordfighter. Come from under the shadows."

Rand moved reluctantly from the dark corner of the room, his dull eyes sweeping across Master Fitz. "Hello Master Fitz."

"Rand al'Thor!" Master Fitz said, a little nervously. "I heard about the business with the Aes Sedai…terrible thing to happen but it was for your own good, no?"

Rand nodded slightly as Master Fitz turned to Patrak. "Why did you hire a child as a guard?"

"I am thirteen summers." Rand interjected coldly.

Master Fitz nodded guiltily and a little fearfully.

"Why, he is a Blademaster! Taught by his father apparently." Patrak said, noticing the nervousness between the two. What was this about Aes Sedai? "Have you met?"

"Once." Rand said softly. "Is there anything else Master Patrak? If not, I would like to explore the town. It has been years since I last stood here."

"Very well, but we must travel in two hours if we wish to make good time on this journey." Patrak consented.

Rand quickly left the Inn. As soon as he did, Master Fitz sighed with relief.

"Are you crazy?" He asked Patrak, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"What is wrong?" Patrak asked.

"That boy could channel once…killed somebody, or so I heard. Hurled lightning and fire from his hands, his eyes coal black! But the Aes Sedai found him and gentled him."

"When was this?" Patrak asked slowly.

"Maybe seven summers past." Master Fitz.

"I see." Patrak said softly, more to himself than Master Fitz.

* * *

Rand strolled through the streets, his eyes seeking somebody. He had never known where Min had lived, only that she had been close to the marketplace near the south section. As he glanced over the marketplace stalls, a section of books caught his eye. In Two Rivers, books were very popular and usually bought as soon as they were displayed by the Peddlers. He glanced through the titles, _The Adventures of Jain Farstrider, Tear and Illian, Legends of the Blight, The Fall of Manetheren. _His eye held the last book, for the picture on the cover of a red eagle was familiar. He had once seen an ancient banner with the same picture in the Two Rivers.

"Interested in Manetheren, boy?" An old crone croaked, her fingers caressing the dusty tome. It was quite slim, but still large enough to hold his interest for several days. "The dead nation once occupied these lands. Thorn in the Dark Ones foot, they were." She cackled loudly, before her face went hard. "Ten Silvers."

Rand thumbed his money pouch, where his deposit of twenty silvers clinked. "For a dirty, ratty book?" He asked.

"Eight silvers." The old crone snapped.

"Two."

"Six."

"Four."

"Five Silvers."

"Five silvers and that book there, the black one." Rand haggled, pointing out another thin tome written in a language that seemed very familiar yet foreign to him. He didn't know why he wanted that book as well, but something in him urged him to get it.

"Six Silvers for both."

"Done." Rand agreed and handed over the shiny coins. He took both books and placed them in pockets under his cloak. He turned around, only to stop as he viewed somebody.

A teenage girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen, stood with her back faced him. She had short-cropped hair and stood in the breaches of boys with a basket on her arm. Rand knew only one girl that would dress like that and a true smile came to his face.

"Min Farshaw." He called out loudly.

The girl stiffened and turned around, revealing an older version of the child he had once known.

"Rand al'Thor." She said in amazement.

"How did you know it was me?" Rand asked lightly as he walked up to her.

"Age can change a person in the face, but it leaves some places alone." Min said mysteriously, a smile curling on her lips. She placed the basket down and leapt at him, hugging him furiously.

"You woollen-headed sheepherder!" She said, her voice muffled in his cloak. "I thought you were dead! When Moiraine said that she hadn't seen a young child in the Tower…"

"It was something almost as bad," Rand said grimly as she pulled back. Moiraine? Who was that? Rand was about to ask when Min shoved a basket into his hands.

"Help me with my basket and you can tell me all about it."

"I have only two hours. I'm a merchant guard."

For the first time, Min noticed the sword strapped to his belt. "You?"

"I'll tell it to you over lunch." Rand said.

* * *

Min's house, owned by her Aunt, was messy and small. It didn't seem to have been tidied for several months at least, and dirty clothing lay skewered around the floor. Min noticed Rand's glances and cringed slightly.

"I usually do not wash until the winds arrive." She explained hastily.

Rand nodded as he sat down at a small table. "You look well."

Min's lip curled as she sat down opposite him, placing the basket to the side. "I'm not…but first, tell me what happened to you."

Min was horrified to learn of his gentling, not because he could once channel but because of the effect it would have had on him. Rand felt himself appreciating Min's quick wit as he told her of his training with Tam, the Bel Tine festival and the agreement with Patrak.

Rand went silent and Min just stared at him with those sorrowful brown eyes. "Poor sheepherder." She said. She gave a quick grin as Rand rolled his eyes.

"So, what about you?" Rand asked.

Min lost her grin. "Remember how I could see things about people?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Rand said.

"Well, some people got interested and there's a…" Min started, before the door opened.

Rand turned his head and immediately jumped to his feet, alert and wary, as an adult woman who only reached his height, with dark hair and wise brown eyes walked in. She wore fine robes, with a sky-blue velvet cloak and a golden ring with a serpent biting its own tail, and her face was neither young nor old, but very beautiful.

Following her was a giant of a man, with long hair that was grey at the temples that was held back by a narrow leather headband. His face was carved from stone, unmoving and flat, and his wore a cloak of greenish grey that would have faded in leaf or shadow.

"Hello Elmindra." The woman said calmly, her eyes flicking to Rand. The giant man shuffled closer to the woman, his eyes gazing unblinkingly at Rand, who had his hand on his sword, and his hand hovered over the hilt of a large broadsword.

"Moiraine, this is _my _friend, Rand." Min said sweetly, a little too sweetly. "He was just leaving."

Rand said nothing; his body tense and he admitted to himself that he was a little fearful. An Aes Sedai stood in front of him, a woman from the group that destroyed his will to live. He was also fearful for Min. She had attracted Aes Sedai attention and it would be her doom, sooner or later..

"Hello Rand." Moiraine said, smiling slightly.

Rand stared stonily back at her. "As Min said, I was just leaving." He said roughly.

"Watch your tongue, boy!" The large man said curtly.  
Rand flicked his eyes to the man, travelling over the sword and removed his hand from the hilt and revealing the heron-mark. The man's face didn't twitch but his eyes showed a flicker of surprise and wariness.

"That's a fine blade." Moiraine said calmly.

"Yes, it is." Rand said flatly. He turned to Min and his demeanour instantly changed. "I'm heading off now. We'll meet again."

"Yes. We will." Min said with a certainty that made Rand wonder if she had seen something. "Goodbye Sheepherder."

Rand made his way to the door, his eyes sweeping over Moiraine. The man looked skilled with the sword, but it was the woman who was dangerous. Her use of the One Power could disable him faster than any swordsman. He opened the door and stepped outside, quickening his place as he left.

* * *

Moiraine frowned after the young boy. He had looked no older than thirteen yet he had carried a heron-mark blade, the blade of a Blademaster.

"Who was that boy?" She asked Min, who looked away and folded her arms beneath her breasts.

"A friend." Min said sharply.

"He had a heron-marked blade." Lan said softly.

"A Blademaster at his age? It is unlikely." Moiraine said, but her brow creased in thought.

"No, the blade belonged to him. It was the way he held himself, the blade is a part of him as his arm is." Lan said thoughtfully. "He will become a dangerous man one day."

"Did you see anything from him?" Moiraine asked Min.

For a moment Min's eyes were unfocussed, emersed in memories. "Oh yes." She said softly. "I saw something. I saw many things."

"What were they?" Moiraine asked gently.

Min stared at her and smiles mysteriously. "He has a destiny," she answered and clamped her lips together when the subject was broached again.

Moiraine sighed and sat down. The boy was interesting, maybe she would seek him out one day, but for know she sought to unravel the mysteries of Min's gift. Rand…she would remember that name.

* * *

True to his word, Patrak left during the middle of the day. There was a particular camping spot that he wanted to reach before dark, an easily defendable position where Rand would truly do his job. As the two arrived at a low-cropped hill just as dusk was settling in, Patrak hesitated.

"I heard a disturbing rumour in Baerlon." He said conversationally, as Rand set up camp while he groomed down the horses.

Rand said nothing as he struck the flint against stone, the sparks glowing in the darkening sky.

"I heard that you could channel and were gentled. Is this true?" Patrak asked.

"Yes." Rand answered shortly.

"I see. Your father didn't mention it to me."

"It wasn't a concern. You needed somebody with sword talents, and here I am." Rand said simply. He struck the flint once more and the dry leaves cackled as a small flame enveloped them.

"So you are." Patrak said, before sighing. "I expect you to be on guard duty tonight. There are herbs that will keep you awake and your strength up." He reached into his caravan and pulled out a longbow made from black wood. It was a large bow, almost as tall as Rand, and came with a quiver of sleek arrows. The bow was unique to Two Rivers and the surrounding villages, and could fire an arrow at three hundred yards and if the bowman was a good shot, hit the target dead on.

Rand nodded as he drabbed himself in a warm cloak and settled himself next to the caravan, leaving the fire unattended. He made sure enough wood was on it to burn for a while and slunk in the shadows. If somebody came, he would catch him or her unawares with a scattering of brittle twigs he placed around the campsite. Not for the first time, he thanked the light that Tam had instructed him in the sword, the bow and the general rules of warfare.

* * *

Rand drifted close to the edge of sleep. The fire was still burning, but not as strongly as before. A loud crack from the dark made Rand stiffen and he quietly lifted the heavy bow. He armed and arrow and flattened himself against the caravan side. Then…

Four figures jumped forward into the light, all wearing pure white cloaks with swords up.

* * *

They were Children of the Light, a radical group that opposed the Dark One. While this may have seemed like a good thing, the Children of the Light (Also known as Whitecloaks), were horribly arrogant and needed little evidence when accusing somebody of becoming a Darkfriend. They way they saw it was that they already knew the truth and they used any method, including torture, to make the accused admit it. They believed that to defy them was to defy the Light, thus you were a Darkfriend. They also hated Aes Sedai with a passion and believed that they were in league with the Dark One and were planning on breaking the world again. Whitecloaks were very powerful in the southwestern nations and practically ran Amadicia. There had been wars in the past that Tam had served in against Whitecloak advancement and Rand, due to his father's involvement in the wars and the tales he had been told, didn't like Whitecloaks at all.

* * *

The caravan door burst open as Patrak appeared, bleary eyed but angry.

"What do you want?" He spat out. "Here to rob me again?"

Rand moved closer to the caravan door, sticking with the shadows with his bow aimed.

"Patrak Covin," One of the Whitecloaks, a slim man with a thin rapier held idly in his hand. "You are hereby under arrest on the charge of conspiring with the dark and resisting the noble work of the light."

Patrak gave a bark of a laugh. "So, because I don't bow and scrape when Whitecloaks try to steal my merchandise, I'm a Darkfriend?"

"Resist at your own peril." The man said smoothly.

Patrak hesitated, before bringing a short sword to bear. "I will defend myself against highway bandits!" He snarled angrily.

The Whitecloak leader sighed and motioned to the other three, who moved forward with raised swords.

Rand sought the void, feeling his emotions drain away and lifted his bow. There was only a high-pitched whistle as an arrow suddenly struck one of the men in the shoulder, leaving a blossoming patch of blood and a strangled cry of pain.

"There's somebody there!" The leader of them cried, just as Patrak launched himself at the two standing guards. He slashed with his cleaver, leaving a bloody gash on one mans thigh, before he was pushed and sent sprawled back. One of the men lifted his sword, intent on driving a killing blow, just as Rand jumped from the shadows with his own sword out. He deflected the thrust and performed Hammer meets anvil, the force of the blow making the other man stagger back.

There was a few seconds of peace as Patrak got up again; gingerly touching a bloody nose, and the Whitecloaks assessed the enemy. The man who had been struck with an arrow staggered away from the camp, most likely going back to his horse for medical supplies.

"A boy thinks he can defeat the Children of the Light?" The leader scoffed. "Darkfriends are surely recruiting much younger than usual."

Rand said nothing as Patrak scoffed at the notion. "This is my new guard, you may recall that you wounded my last one."

"In the name of the Light, disarm yourselves and repent." One of the men said grimly.

"In the name of the Light, repent your sins of thieving and leave." Patrak shot back.

"Very well then." The Leader said, and with a well-practised motion, the three of them jumped forward.

Rand met two of them, the Leader and the man who had asked him to repent. His sword flashed in the flickering firelight as he met blow with blow. His sword whizzed through the air as the two men worked together to defeat him. Parting the silk blocked a sword thrust, Bird over Sea sent the Leader on the defensive, while Fish Upstream inflicted a nasty slice on the other mans arm.

Patrak, on the other hand, was not faring well. He lunged with his meat cleaver, slashing the air as the other man bought his sword up. Patrak slammed into the man, both weapons dropping to the ground as he swung wildly with his fists. The other man grunted, before he lifted Patrak off him and delivered a sharp jab to the ribs. As Patrak groaned in pain, he fumbled to rip a small seam on his shirt, while the Whitecloak picked his sword up and lifted it past his head. Patrak finally managed to get the seam off and a pile of black powder dropped into his hand. He blew it at the man, keeping his eyes shut and stopped breathing as the other man inhaled the powder and gagged. It was a poison, an instant kill, but was not very useful due to the instability with the air. The pouch was sealed tight to keep the poison safe and the air away. The man dropped his sword, his hands at his throat as he dropped to the ground and lay limp.

* * *

Rand blocked another blow, watching the whole thing dispassionately in the Void. He lunged forward, his sword rising to meet the curved and thin rapier of the leader, while he dodged a powerful swipe by the other man with his large broadsword. With no emotion whatsoever, he turned aside another four blows and jumped backwards, before performing Sun rises over Mountain. The man with the broadsword gurgled as Rand extracted the blade from his chest, just in time to deflect Boar charges Wolf. He wasn't so lucky a minute later, as the Whitecloak blade slashed his face. But the leader paid for the blood a second later, he had left his right open and Rand cut deep into his side. The leader screamed and staggered back, making another wild swipe with his rapier before the Rand's sharp blade slashed his throat open. For a moment, Rand just stood there, a thirteen year old with blood on his sword surrounded by two dead men. He released the Void and the exhaustion, anger and fear he had been ignoring rushed into him

"Thankyou." Patrak said, limping slightly as he came up to him. Suddenly there was a horse scream and the sound of hooves beating along the ground as the injured Whitecloak with the arrow fled, most likely having witnessed the result of the fight.

Rand said nothing as he picked up his bow and staggered back to the fire. Patrak said nothing as he went into his caravan and retrieved herbs and cloth. He spent the next few minutes bathing and patching up Rand's cuts.

"Was this your first kill?" He asked gently.

Rand nodded, only feeling a hollow sensation inside of him. He was numb.

"It's alright to cry."

"I couldn't cy even if I wanted to." Rand said bluntly. "They tried to kill me…"

Patrak sighed and looked at the sky. In a couple of hours, the sun would rise. It would maybe take a week to reach Whitebridge, where he would meet his former guard. Maybe then, he would invite Rand to stay with him.

* * *

Over the next week, there were no encounters with Whitecloaks. They past several towns and Patrak bought food from some of them. Rand usually slept in the day and guarded the caravan at night. The slash he received on his face healed nicely, but it left a thin scar on his cheek. When Rand was awake with Patrak, he continued to learn the flute and had requested some of the poison that Patrak has used in the fight. After a week, they finally reached Whitebridge. Like it's name, a large bridge made of a white glass-like substance appeared. It was unknown what the substance was, but no hammer, knife or fire could dent, scratch or melt it.

"Rand, the is Ellessinde." Patrak introduced, handsome women with black hair and dark eyes with a large scar on her forehead and a sword strapped to her belt.

Rand bowed his head. "Mistress," he greeted. He turned to Patrak. "If I can have the rest of my payment, I'll be out of your way."

Patrak handed him a small bag of silver. "I am leaving for Illian, if you wish to join me, I will be glad."

Rand hesitated, before he shook his head. "I thank you, but no. I'm going to head to Caemlyn."

"Very well then." Patrak sighed. "Have a good life, Rand al'Thor. As a gift for saving my life, take my flute." He handed Rand a small case, which he accepted.

"Good luck." Rand said solemnly.

And with that, the two parted ways. With his new silver, Rand payed a cart heading for Caemlyn and waited in the back, occasionally playing a few tunes. If this what life would be like outside of the Two Rivers, he need not fear losing the will to live. The world was an exciting place.


	4. Caemlyn: A battle and something else

**A/N- A lot of the scenes are similar to the book as you will see. The reason for this is that my favourite scene in all of book one was Rand meeting Elayne and Morgase. I have to have something similar in my story. This will be standard pairings, though I have something in mind for Lanfear.

* * *

**

**Just in case…**

**_DISCLAIMER: _All characters, places and concepts in this story belong to Robert Jordan. This story is not intended to make profit or gain, and is written purely for pleasure. As far as I am aware, Robert Jordan has not expressed a negative opinion regarding Fanfiction concerning the Wheel of Time saga, but if he were to do so then this story would be removed immediately.

* * *

**

**I wrote that because it was a legal thing, and because yesterday I read the opinion of an author named Robin Hobb regarding her views of Fanfiction. In my opinion, she protested a little too vehemently, but I find myself guiltily agreeing with her opinions. Of course, that isn't going to stop me writing but still, I want to lay the credit where it is due.

* * *

**

On a peaceful country road, a cart clattered along the ground as a brown mare pulled it along, stirring dust in the air. On the cart, handling the reigns was a elderly man with white hair and crinkled eyes, while sitting next to him was a young boy, maybe thirteen, with reddish brown hair and grey eyes. As the cart rose over a hill, the boy leaned forward and gasped at his first look at Caemlyn.

Rand couldn't stop himself from gasping in amazement at the gigantic city in front of him. He had though that Baerlon and Whitebridge had been impressive, but this city outshone them all. A great wall that was fifty-feet high and made from pale grey stone streaked with silver and white, was swept out from north to south in a great circle, with towers rising along it's length. Buildings were clustered outside the wall, larger than Baerlon, Two Rivers, Whitebridge and any other town he had passed.

The farmer next to him, named Bunt, grinned at his wide-eyed expression. "What did I tell you? The greatest city in the world!"

Rand nodded absently as he gawked. Bunt continued riding the cart through the outer streets, which were filled with people, and made his way to giant gates. Several white and red uniformed men stood with gleaming armour and shiny lances, keeping the peace as a steady flow of men, woman and children flowed in and out.

The cart made its way past the gates and into the streets past the giant walls. Buildings rose on small hills, as steeping stones to the centres, and another wall was built on the highest of these hills. Towers of white with golden domes stood erect along this wall and Rand summarised that the nobles and Queen must live beyond the walls.

"Here you go, son." Bunt said as he parked his cart along the side of a busy street. He frowned as Rand pulled out ten silvers and shook his head. "No, you keep them. You have earned your due with your delightful music."

Rand sighed and dropped the coins in the cart. He bowed once to the aging farmer and turned around, stepping into the busy street.

* * *

There was a certain tenseness and vigilance that surrounded the people of Caemlyn. Red and white uniformed men, soldiers of the Queens Guard, stood at every street corner. Rand almost had a fit when he bumped into a Whitecloak, and muttered apologies as the man pushed him away without a second thought. He kept his hand on his hilt, hiding the Heron-mark from inquisitive eyes as he leant back against the wall.  
There was also a certain fashion trend that appeared to be happening among the citizens. Men and women wore red or white bands across their arms or sword hilts. Similarly, men with red bands and sashes glared at other men with white sashes or bands. His eyes rooted out a stall seeling fabric purely of red and white and he crossed the street.

"Good day," Rand greeted.

The old crone behind the stole grunted. "What do yo want?" she grumbled.

Rand picked out a red piece of cloth to hide his sword hilt, mainly because it was cheaper and paid the woman.

"I see a lot of people are wearing red or white." He said casually.

"Hmph. In my day, our loyalties lay with the Red Lion of Andor, our Queen." The crone snapped. "Now we have these white-banded fools supporting the Whitecloaks, practically worshiping the ground they walk on."

Rand, who had been examining a piece of white fabric felt dread in his stomach. "White is for the Children of the Light?" He asked.

The old crone nodded and Rand dropped the white fabric.

"Thankyou for your warning." He said politely.

"It's good to see youngsters supporting the Queen." She said, smiling a wrinkled smile.

Rand smiled politely back and moved back into the crowd, his mind a whirl. He had not forgotten the night where Whitecloaks had ambushed Patrak, and he had not forgotten the slack and terror filled features of the two dead men, whose blood lay on his hands. He knew it had been the right thing to do, but he did not enjoy killing men.

* * *

Rand continued his explorations of the city as the days went past. He had booked a room in an inn called The Queens Man. Several bulky men had been sitting down and had glanced over him, noting the red band of cloth on his hilt. That had been all the inspection they needed and Rand had hired a small room out for two silvers a night.

One day, Rand had been walking up on the hills closer to the inner wall when he had encountered an unfriendly face. Opposite him on the streets was a Whitecloak with a bandage across his arm, exchanging words with a group of six of his ilk. For a moment Rand stood still in shock. It was the Whitecloak who he had shot an arrow at just past Baerlon. The Whitecloak moved his eyes across the street before coming to a halt on Rand. Recognition and a burning hatred flashed through the brown orbs and he shouted something, pointing at Rand. Rand took one look at the swords, lances and bows of the Whitecloaks and ran.

He bolted through a sea of trees, thin branches whipping at his face as he jumped over logs and ducked limbs. Behind him, he could hear shouts and hollers as several people crashed through the trees as they chased him. Rand panted for breath as he ran past the trees and up a small hill, looking back to see seven Whitecloaks following him. The wall approached quickly and Rand groaned under his breath. He turned around, his eyes scanning for any Whitecloak as he leaned back against the wall. He felt the rough and uneven edges dig into his back and he ran a hand over the large wall. There were grooves and edges, worn through the rain and weather. The Sand Cliffs at Two Rivers had been higher and he had climbed them. Without a second thought he started to scale the wall, his fingers finding holes and his leather shoes finding edges. Suddenly, something flashed past his ear with great speed and smashed next to his head. Rand lost his grip and he fell three metres to the ground. Next to him laid an arrow, the head completely crushed by the impact against the wall.

"Get him!" Somebody shouted from behind him and Rand wobbled up to his feet…just as pain blossomed through his left shoulder. Rand gave a cry of pain as he stared down and surprise and shock clouded his thoughts. A sleek arrow jutted from his shoulder and Rand gingerly touched it, trying to pull it. Another wave of pain streaked through him and left him panting as he stared up at the approaching Whitecloaks, one with a lowered bow and a victorious smile.

"It appears that we've caught a Darkfriend." The bowmen growled in amusement.

Rand said nothing as he sought the void, but it slipped away from him as pain lanced through his body. The Whitecloak with the bandages shoulder grinned in vicious humour.

"It hurts. I know." He said angrily. He spat at Rand as he unsheathed his sword. "For the murder of three Children of the Light, you shall be executed."

Rand stared numbly at the sword, watching as it glittered in the sunlight. For once, Rand felt his adult-like composure slip away. He was going to die…

"You down there! Leave him alone!"

Rand blinked as he craned his neck up, to see a figure in the trees. It was a girl, with clothes so fancy that it made him blink. A dark blue velvet cloak with fur trimmed at the collar covered a skirt with silver lining. A tiara was settled in a nest of hair and a necklace with a ruby in the centre was draped across her neck. The girl was maybe two or three years younger than him, with an oval face and red-gold hair in curls. Blue eyes stared at the Whitecloaks unflinchingly as she balanced herself on a tree branch.

"I mean it! I shall call the Guard!" The girl said haughtily.

"You seek to help a Darkfriend?" A Whitecloak called out.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "I hear that Whitecloaks accuse people of being Darkfriends, then use evil means to get the answer they want out of the accused."

"Then you are a Darkfriend sympathiser." The bowmen said and notched an arrow, raising the bow. The girl gasped, gripping the tree as if she couldn't believe it.

"Y-You can't kill me!" She spluttered in fear.

"Repent your sins and walk with the light."

"There's nothing to repent!" The girl said fearfully, her eyes trained on the arrow.

"Then you leave us no choice."

Rand saw the girl, saw the bowmen and sought the void. It slipped away from him but he pushed everything aside, his fear, his anger, his pain, and shoved in an imaginary flame deep in his mind. He suddenly grasped it and his pain dulled to the point where he could ignore it. He unsheathed his sword just as the Whitecloak took aim and jumped forward. Slicing the Silk met flesh and the bowmen made no sound as he fell to the ground.

The bow fell loosely from his hand and the arrow was released, striking the branch closest to the girl's head. She gave a shriek as she unconsciously jumped back, and lost her balance. She was flying, soaring as her hands desperately tried to grab hold of something, before she cleared the large tree and her hands found the top of the wall. She held still for a moment as the sounds of battle drifted to her ears.

* * *

Rand moved with every bit of skill Tam had ever taught him. There were no reservations, no second thoughts, and no chances for mercy. In ten seconds, he had been slashed across the chest with a sword, and had brutally hacked away at three Whitecloaks. The pain in his arm was great, he could feel it through the emotionless barriers of the void, but he fought viciously like a cornered and enraged animal. As two more Whitecloaks fell to his flurry, somebody grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground.

Rand twisted around, his hand reaching for his dropped sword as the last Whitecloak jumped upon him with his hands around Rands throat. For a moment, Rand was lost in the madness that appeared in this mans eyes. He struggled from breath, lashing out with his arms and legs. His sword was mere centimetres away from his fingers as he sought to overpower his opponent. But Rand was just a boy on the verge of manhood, and the Whitecloak was much stronger than him. Black clouded his vision as he went dizzy, it seemed like hours as the hands squeezed and squeezed, before they amazingly went slack as the Whitecloak slumped over. Rand immediately drew a gulping breath, panting as he kicked the Whitecloak off him and took his sword from the ground, leaping up. The girl stood there, her eyes wide with a bloody dagger in her hands.

Rand stared at her as she composed herself rather quickly for a child.

"Are you well?" the girl asked Rand.

Rand nodded, still clung to the void. "And you?" He asked.

The girl nodded slowly. "Yes. I am fine. You do not look fine though, you are bleeding on the chest and you have an arrow in your shoulder!"

"Is that where you live, over that wall?" Rand asked, ignoring her as he gestured at the gleaming white wall. The pain was very bad now, as it assaulted him within the void and made him waver and tremble.

The girl's eyes flickered with surprise but they smoothed over. "Yes. Mother is going to be angry with me. She says that I shouldn't be climbing trees."

Rand nodded and approached the wall. "Come, I will help you over."

The girl hesitated. "I can't climb that." She said, frowning.

"Hold on to my back then." Rand offered. The girl had saved his life; the least he could do was show her home safely. Then he would get back to the Queens Man and ask the Innkeeper for a good Wisdom.

The girl approached Rand and hesitantly clung on to his back, her arms encircling his neck. They tightened as he began his climb, using the grooves and edges to hoist himself up until he reached the top and he sat on the wall. The girl hesitantly let go and took hold of a tree branch, swinging herself over and back onto the tree with a practised ease. Rand started to make his way down the wall again when,

"You're just leaving?" The girl asked.

Rand twisted his head around to speak to her and stumbled on his seat. He grabbed hold of the same branch the girl had as he tumbled over backwards. There was a creak and a loud snap as the branch came down under his weight and he fell to the ground, landing on his feet but falling over. Pain threatened to break down his struggling hold of the emotionless void.

"Stay still." Came a soothing voice and he looked up to see the head of the girl over him. She reached into a waist belt and pulled out tiny bottles of something, and ground herbs, and started to fiddle with them. "I've never done this on a human before." She admitted as she made a fine paste.

"That's not very reassuring." Rand muttered.

"I said hold still!" The girl commanded, her tone of voice expected to be obeyed.

"Do you expect everybody to do as you say?" Rand snapped in anger when she put her hands over the cut in his chest.

Rand could only see her lips curve upwards. "Yes."

Soon, the biting pain in his chest dulled and holding the void became much easier. Still, there was a lot of pain to go around and it was immediately replaced by the aches in his legs. The girl pulled out a silk handkerchief, a embodied blue and red piece of fabric that could have easily bought a horse in the Two Rivers. She placed in on his chest and tied it to his vest.

"There. Let us look at that arrow." She said briskly. She leaned over, placed a hand on the arrow shaft and snapped it. Rand gave a grunt of pain as the vibrations shifted the arrowhead in his shoulder.

"I'm Rand al'Thor, from the Two Rivers." Rand suddenly said.

"I am Elayne." The girl replied, frowning worriedly. "I have ground Dwarfroot into the wound to relieve the pain. You best let Mistress Lini look at that. I dare not touch it anymore than I have to."

Rand staggered up, dizzy and hurt but feeling much better than before. "You saved my life Elayne."

"You saved my life Rand al'Thor." Elayne said solemnly, so unlike the girls he knew at the Two Rivers. "I say that it clears the debt."

"I owe you a debt, you saved my life twice and relieved me of my pain." Rand said. He touched his cut gingerly and braced himself, letting go of the void. Suddenly he could feel everything again, the aches and pains and heat, but he stood tall. It was not as bad as before, his wounds were numbing due to Elayne's herbs.

"Elayne?" A voice called, male and sounding his age. A boy, a little shorter than Rand but roughly his age appeared, dressed in well-tailored clothes. His hair and eyes showed him to be kin of Elayne and he started upon seeing Rand, his eyes flicking over his clothes, the wounds and the bloody sword on the ground.

"Be calm Gawyn." Elayne commanded. "He means no harm."

Gawyn nodded slowly, his hand touching the hilt of a dagger on his belt. "Who is he?" He asked.

"His name is Rand al'Thor, from the Two Rivers." Elayne said, brushing her skirt off as she stood up.

"Two Rivers. That's west, very far west indeed." Gawyn muttered. At Rand's startled look he shrugged. "I am instructed to know all of the provinces in Andor."

"Gawyn, where is Elayne?" Came another voice as an older boy, tall and slim appeared. He was very handsome and dressed in clothes similar to Elayne and Gawyn. He had a sword on his belt and appeared just as Rand was picking up his bloody sword from the ground. Instantly, with a scrape of metal on metal, his sword was out and his eyes narrowed and hard.

"Elayne, back away." He said curtly.

Rand watched him warily, wiping his blade on the grass and sheathing it back in his scabbard.

"Don't be silly," Elayne said derisively.

"He is armed!" The boy protested.

"He is my guest!" Elayne said sharply.

The boy hesitated, his sword still pointed directly at Rand.

"Do not be foolish Galad. He would defeat you easily." Elayne said, scorn in her voice. "Now leave us!"

Galad hesitated and sheathed his sword. He stalked away quickly and Gawyn sighed.

"He has gone to get the guards." He explained to Rand.

Rand said nothing, suddenly tired and drained. He noticed a glint on the ground and approached Elayne's dagger, picking it up and examining it. It was a very well made weapon, wrought in steel and silver with gems on the hilt. He handed it to Elayne, who took it gingerly and wiped dark crimson blood on the grass. Gawyn did not miss the exchange.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly. Suddenly pounding footsteps could be heard as red-cloaked guards in white armour appeared from everywhere. Some held swords, others held bows and they rushed towards Rand, Elayne and Gawyn, circling them. Swords were aimed at Rand; bows loaded with arrows and drew back. In the space of ten seconds, twenty guards surrounded Rand.

Elayne didn't hesitate and threw herself forward, shielding Rand with her own body. Simultaneously, the bows were lowered or directed away as an officer with a gleaming golden knot on his shoulders rushed forward.

"Lady Elayne!" He gasped.

"I claim guest-right for this boy." Elayne said sharply. "Do you dare bring bared steel on my guest?"

The officer hesitated, obviously confused. "We were told by Lord Galadedrid that an armed intruder was on the grounds…"

Elayne drew herself up, making herself taller and more intimidating. For a moment, Rand thought there was something that he did not know, something important about Elayne.

"Do you wish to put him in the cells? Very well, as he is my guest I shall follow him!" Elayne said smugly. "Or you could take us to Mother."

The officer looked perplexed but signalled his men. Swords were sheathed and bows lowered and Rand relaxed his grip on his own sword.

"Very well then. Let us see Mother." Elayne said and gestured to the Captain. "Lead on."

As Elayne, Rand, Gawyn and several guards travelled through the palace, Rand barely looked at the magnificent decorations. His cloak his arrow wound as he turned to Elayne as they walked.

"Who is your mother?" He asked.

Elayne just looked at him impassively as the guards muttered to themselves and Gawyn appeared stunned.

"Morgase, by the Grace of the Light Queen of Andor, Protector of the Realm, Defender of the People, High Seat of the house Trakand." Elayne answered simply.

"You're the daughter-heir?" Rand asked in shock, almost stumbling over his own feet. "Ah…My lady?"

Elayne sighed. "Yes," She answered.

As the group approached a set of doors, the officer approached Rand, reaching for the sword that lay on his belt.

"Do you forget the privileges of guest-right?" Elayne asked sharply. "He may go armed throughout the palace, even in front of my Mother."

The Officer sighed, obviously used to Elayne and turned to the doorkeepers. "Announce the Lady Elayne and Lord Gawyn to her majesty. Also, Guardsmen-Captain Grimol with an intruder."

Elayne scowled at the Captain, but the doors were already swinging open with a voice announcing those who came. Elayne swept through the doors, and Rand followed her as Gawyn nudged him. Inside was the most impressive hall he had ever seen, but he kept his eyes on the people in front of him. Two women sat in chairs, one chair a grand-like throne and the other on the left-hand side of the other, a rocking chair. A man with greying hair stood proudly by the arm of the throne, while a woman with a face neither old or young and dark hair paid no attention to the procession, content on knitting away. Rand recognised her, with a chill, to be an Aes Sedai. He tore his eyes to the throne as the party approached it. A woman that was a mature and older version of Elayne sat there regally, her head held high. She was very beautiful, with Elayne's hair and eyes, and she regarded the party with no emotion in her eyes. Suddenly Elayne stopped and curtsied, dropping to the ground. Next to him Gawyn knelt down on one knee, placing his right knuckles on the ground and touch his sword hilt. Rand tried to imitate him, but spasms of pain rippled through his shoulder as he tried to bend, so he merely bowed his head and touched his sword. There was an indigent start from beside him and he could see the Captain glaring furiously at him. He paid him no mind and waited.

"Rise." The Queen said calmly.

Elayne stood, appearing just as regal as her mother.

"Elayne my Daughter, it appears you have been climbing trees. Did you take a fall, there is blood on your skirt?" Morgase asked.

"No Mother, the blood is that of two others." Elayne said calmly. A shiver ran through her that she stopped but she clenched her fists together. It was then that Rand could see that despite her brave face, she had been and still was terrified.

"And whose blood would that be?" Morgase said, her voice suddenly become more dangerous. Her eyes appeared to harden as even the Aes Sedai looked from her knitting.

"The blood of one is the boy who stands next to me, the boy who could not bow because of the arrowhead in his shoulder. The other is the blood of a Whitecloak, which I k-killed." Elayne answered, only stuttering at the end.

The guards shifted beside him, anger appearing in their eyes.

"Whitecloaks attacked you?" Morgase asked in anger, fury rolling of her in waves.

"Not at first Mother. I was sitting in the tree when…" Elayne told the tale of Rand running up the hill, trying to climb the wall, getting struck by the arrow, Elayne telling them to stop, Elayne falling and the battle between Rand and the Whitecloaks, how she killed a Whitecloak to save him and how he helped her over the wall and fell. She fell silent as the tale was finished.

"If I did not see the blood dripping from the boys hands then I would be hard pressed to believe you." Morgase said. Rand blinked and glanced down, pushing aside his cloak. Sure enough, blood was pooled around the wound and running down his arms, dripping from his fingers. "Elaida, if you would heal him."

The Aes Sedai put down her knitting and stood, and Rand recognised the dark hair and the face. She had been part of the circle that had gentled him when he was a child. When she approached, he stepped backward.

"I thank you, but I must decline." Rand said slowly. Elayne looked surprised as she gazed at him and Morgase sat up straighter, regarding him with a speculative gaze.

"Do not be foolish boy." Elaida said.

"I will not let an Aes Sedai touch me, especially you!" Rand spat out.

Elaida looked briefly surprised at the tone of voice. She gazed over at him and suddenly smiled. "Ah, yes. I remember you. Rand al'Thor."

"Yes, You were part of the circle that gentled me." Rand said resentfully.

The guards suddenly shuffled as they stood back, gaining more room as they put their hands on their swords. Gawyn shuffled in front of Elayne, his hand of his knife and suddenly Rand was the most observed person in the room. Male channelers were things to be feared, even when gentled.

"Yes, I remember now. I was on business for the Red Ajah, just briefly. You were young then, just a child." Elaida recalled. "We saved you from yourself."

"And I thankyou. But as one who can channel the True Source, you must know that I must hate you for gentling me, even if it were for my own good." Rand said bitterly.

Elaida regarded him with dark eyes, before returning to her seat. For a moment, there was a silence in the room that only broke as Elayne pushed Gawyn aside and approached Rand. She lifted up his cloak and examined the arrowhead wound again. "If you want, I can try to take this out for you.

"I trust you." Rand said, leaving his statement unfinished. Elaida shuffled and Morgase looked intrigued as Elayne pulled out her dagger and with a quick apology, dug it into the wound. Rand cried out in pain, before he sought the void and stood as still as a statue. He felt the pain echoing the corners of his mind, the dagger digging in new wounds and reminding the old wounds that simple herbs could not numb them. There was a clink of the ground as Elayne dropped something to the ground, an arrowhead, her hands bloody as she retracted them and dug into her belt pouches. After the paste had been administered again, she looked for a rag.

"Here." Rand said as he pulled away the red cloth from the sword hilt, exposing the heron-mark.

The guards were shocked even more, and once even tried to unsheathe his sword before Morgase shook her head. Elayne tied the rag across his arm and smiled.

"There, you stubborn puppy. All better." Elayne said, part mockingly, part something else.

Rand smiled, a true smile of thanks as he released the void.

"You have a heron-mark, the sword of a Blademaster." Morgase said loudly.

Rand bowed his head slightly to her, already feeling better. "I earned it from my father. After I was…gentled," here he gave Elaida a look that she returned stonily. "I was encouraged to find an extreme goal and quest towards it, to give me the will to survive."

"Is it official?" Morgase questioned.

"No." Rand admitted.

"He is a Blademaster." Elayne said abruptly. "I saw his skill."

"Yes, the Whitecloaks." Morgase muttered. She turned to the man beside her, who had stayed silent so far. "Gareth, what do you recommend?"

"My Queen, it is possible that the Whitecloaks did not recognise Elayne. Still, they dared to attack a ten-year-old girl and kill a boy. I suggest that we do what we should have done three years ago, ban them from Caemlyn and evict them from Andor."

"There will be public unrest." Morgase said shrewdly.

Gareth shrugged. "Not if the reasons become clear. Let it be known that they tried to murder the daughter-heir and people will join the Queens Guard in the hopes of fighting Whitecloaks."

Morgase was silent as she thought outloud. "I have been lenient to the Children of the Light." She muttered. "Perhaps too lenient. This cannot go unanswered for. Gareth, do as you will."

Gareth bowed. "May I suggest that we find out why Whitecloaks were chasing Blademaster al'Thor?"

Morgases eyes shifted to Rand. "I was a merchant guard near Baerlon when four Whitecloaks attempted to rob the caravan I was protecting. One of them survived and fled, and spotted me in Caemlyn."

Morgase nodded. "I have had reports of Whitecloaks acting as bandits. Gareth?"

"There shall not be a single Whitecloak within Caemlyn in a week, none in Andor within a month."

"Excellent. Now, Rand al'Thor, what to do with you?"

"Mother, please, show mercy. He saved my life!" Elayne begged, getting to her knees.

"Hush child. I meant, what reward should we grace him with?" Morgase said with a small smile on his face.

Elayne's cheeks went red as she scrambled to her feet, shooting Gawyn a glare as he struggled not to smile.

"What do you want, Blademaster?" Morgase continued. "Gold? Jewels? Land? A noble title?"

Rand stared blankly at her. "I do not know, your majesty."

Morgase nodded. "Have time to think and ask again later, and you shall have it…within reason."

Rand nodded and bowed his head again.

"May I ask where you come from, Blademaster?" Gareth suddenly asked.

"The Two Rivers." Rand answered.

Gareth cocked his head, just staring at Rand with a blank expression.

"With red in your hair, and grey in your eyes?" Elaida asked calmly.

Rand stiffened. "My mother was an outlander." He responded calmly. "My father is Tam al'Thor. He served in the Aiel war and bought my mother home when it was finished."

"So your mother was Aiel?" Elaida asked.

"No, I don't think so," Rand answered, getting frustrated. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"You are the perfect picture of an Aiel." Gawyn spoke up for the first time.

Rand had nothing to say to that.

"Mother, I have come up with an idea for Rand's reward." Elayne said abruptly. She straightened up, brushing down her skirt as she fiddled.

"Yes daughter?" Morgase asked with her eyebrow arched.

"It seems that I am not safe in Caemlyn. I was attacked in the palace gardens themselves, and with the Whitecloaks being evicted; there will some who will blame me. I need…" Elayne said, almost to the point of babbling.

"We can post guards to your…" Gareth began.

"I need a bodyguard." Elayne finished.

Morgase started in surprise, her eyes flicking over to Rand. "And you suggest the boy?"

"Yes Mother." Elayne said meekly. "I find him to be an excellent swordsman."

"I'm sure you do." Morgase said dryly, hinting at something that eluded Rand. Gawyn gave him a grin and indeed, even the guards were shaking their heads ruefully. "What of it Rand al'Thor? Do you object?"

Rand blinked in surprise, swivelling his head to see Elayne, who was watching him with the barest of a pleading expression. "I…" He trailed off. He straightened and managed a deeper bow than before hissing in pain. "I would be honoured, My Queen."

"Morgase…" Elaida began.

"No Elaida, would you have me break my word? This is a gift I can give to him within reason, and indeed, he may save my daughters life again in the future." Morgase said sharply. She turned to Rand. "Do you have any belongings?"

"They are in room 14, in the Queens Man inn." Rand told her. The numbness of the aftermath of a battle was beginning to wear off and he suddenly felt very tired.

"I shall send some guards to pick them up. In the meantime, I suggest you see a Healer. After all, the Defender of the Daughter-Heir needs to be able to use both arms effectively." Morgase finished.


	5. Caemlyn: Myrddraal and the Slayer

_**A/N- I'm moving quickly here. I want Rand to really move about, let his ta'raven effects work for him

* * *

**_

_**Two Years Later**_

Rand tugged at his collar stiffly, glancing into the mirror on the other side of large room. His clothes were made for nobles, with red and white colours merging on his shirt and black pants, his sword scabbard clipped on at the belt. His main problem was the flowing black cloak that bore the symbol of the golden lily, the sign of Elayne Trakand, daughter-heir of Andor. His arm bore a slight stiffness that could cause a minor pain, but did not hamper his skills as a swordsman. As he fidgeted with his collar once again, the door next to him opened.

Rand turned to see Elayne and Gawyn, Daughter-Heir and her brother, standing there regally. Elayne was now twelve, turning thirteen shortly and dressed with a dark blue velvet cloak with fur trimmed at the collar, covering a skirt with silver lining. A tiara was settled in a nest of hair and a necklace with a ruby in the centre was draped across her neck, while Gawyn was closer to Rand's age at fifteen and dressed just as regally.

"Ready Rand?" Elayne asked.

Rand bowed perfectly, having perfected the movement long ago. "You highness," He intoned. "I am ready to leave at your command."

Elayne scowled, her nose wrinkling, while Gawyn tried not to smile. "You needn't do that here, when we are alone."

"But Milady, General Gareth Byrne has instructed me in the fine ways of etiquette and respect one must show the Daughter-Heir." Rand said, his voice a little too innocent.

Elayne stamped her foot and threw her head up in the air, just as Rand cracked a smile and Gawyn snickered.

"I am ready to leave when you are, Elayne," He said, smiling lightly at her stony expression.

* * *

Elayne had a hard look on her face that faded away when Rand smiled. She internally sighed, absently smoothing down her skirt as Rand gazed upon her. It was not her fault that the damn of a boy had captured her heart, but as her heart fluttered just at the sight of him, she ignored it and turned to Gawyn.

"Shall we go, brother dearest?" She asked imperiously. She threw a mocking glance, her lips curled upwards. "I'm sure my bodyguard has much to protect me from. Who knows, a cat may attack me in the hallway!"

Gawyn bowed and offered her his arm, which she accepted while Rand chuckled softly, undisturbed by the barb. Together they strode from the room. Elayne led the way through the maze of halls, past doors and statues and portraits. She didn't have to look back to see Rand following two paces behind, his posture strong and his eyes flicking over everything.

At first, when she had suggested that he become her bodyguard, she hadn't thought that Gareth Byrne would take the notion to heart with vigour. But he had, and Rand had been summoned to him the next day for training. She didn't know what the training had detailed, but several weeks later, Rand had returned with a walk that would make a cat envious and eyes that never stopped moving. His manners had changed also, and in public he addressed her with the upmost respect. In private, he had attempted to do so but Elayne had threatened to send for Mistress Lini, her old Nanny, with a switch and he had hastily dropped the obedient servant manner. Sometimes, it was nice to talk to somebody who treated you as a friend first, and a daughter-heir second.

Rand trailed after Elayne, taking in the familiar halls that he had walked along so often. Three years ago, if somebody had suggested that he would once by a Royal bodyguard to the daughter-heir, he would have scoffed and privately wondered if they had been drinking too much ale. Elayne and Gawyn reached two large golden doors, ornate curves carved into the metal.

"Announce the Daughter-Heir and Lord Gawyn." Elayne commanded to the doorkeepers. She waited patiently as a voice that chimed like crystals called out Elayne and Gawyn with their titles and ceremonies. There was no mention of Rand, he was but a guard, and the doors swung open. Inside, musicians played harps and flutes, beautiful and lively melodies. Lords and Ladies dressed up in their finest danced to the tunes, or sat at the large tables blanketed with the best food Caemlyn had to offer. At the centre of the table sat Queen Morgase, three seats to her left sat Gareth Byrne and her right Elaida Sedai. Two empty chairs were waiting next between Gareth and Morgase

Elayne strode through the room, smaller than most of the Lords and Ladies she passed yet possessing an air of nobility that surpassed them. Lords and Ladies bowed and curtsied as she passed them, Gawyn by her side and Rand at her back. His eyes skimmed over everybody that came close to the pair.

"Everybody is a potential assassin, from the lowest servant to the highest noble." 

"Mother," Elayne greeted, curtsying low. Gawyn bowed while Rand offered her a military salute, thumping his chest and bowing his head slightly.

Morgase smiled, her red curls glistening in the candle light from the chandeliers. Her beauty was greater than most of the Ladies in the room, and she gestured to the seats next to her.

"Be seated." She commanded. Elayne and Gawyn stood straight and moved to their seats, sitting down with the grace of a noble. Rand offered the Queen another military salute and moved away from the table, away from the nobles and sitting at the table designated for the lower class folk, mainly the servants of the Lords and Ladies. He would have to keep an eye on Elayne, and be ready when she had to leave.

* * *

Some time later, Rand watched as Elayne approached the dancing couples with a young man with long brown hair and blue eyes. He tensed as he eyed the couple like a hawk, assessing the youth. He appeared to be of the age of eighteen, nineteen, and had the look of a Cairhien noble. He watched as the youth took Elayne's hand, bowing his head, and started his dance. He caught somebody waving to him from the corner of his eye and saw Gawyn surrounded by young Lords. Gawyn was gesturing to him so Rand stood, his plate unfinished, and walked over.

"Lord Gawyn." Rand said, bowing respectfully.

"This is the bodyguard you were boasting about?" A hard faced youth, maybe seventeen with dark eyes scoffed. "He is a boy?"

"Blademaster al'Thor is an exceptional swordsman." Gawyn said, carefully throwing in Rand's title.

The youth frowned. "He is too young to be a Blademaster. My cousin in Tear has been attempting that mastery of the sword for fourteen years, and he has yet to pass."

"Your cousin maybe lacks in skill, Bernine." Another youth said, with blonde hair, smirking slightly.

Bernine glowered, drawing himself up. "At least the blood of Illian whores does not run in my veins, Jarrod."

Jarrod looked amused at the statement. "You have less than a single uncles relation to Tear yet you seem to imitate the barbarians much better than they do themselves."

"Barbarians?" Bernine said, his voice rising.

"Jarrod, Bernine." Gawyn broke in. "This is not the place to discuss the complexities of the feud between Illian and Tear."

The youths glowered, before they looked past Rand and bowed. Gawyn turned and smiled.

"Elayne." He greeted, bowing his head.

Rand swivelled around, about to bow when…

"Come Defender." Elayne spoke coldly. "I shall be taking a walk with Lord Mayborn."

Rand bowed, shooting Gawyn a puzzled look, and followed Elayne obediently. He had read the undercurrents of annoyance and perhaps fear.

Elayne met with the youth she had been dancing with, who did not look pleased to see him. As the two left the room, Rand strained his ears to listen in.

"…my Father has been talking to your mother, the Queen…dowry of seven acres of field and seventy thousands gold pieces…not finalised…" The boy was saying.

Elayne had a cold look on her face as she turned into a small alcove that led to a large balcony that overlooked the city. The moon provided ample light, and torches lit the walls as Elayne walked to the edge of the balcony, staring out to the twinkling lights of the guard towers and the houses.

"I am the Daughter-Heir of Andor." She said abruptly and loudly. Rand slunk in the shadows, interested despite himself, as Lord Mayborn's smiled faded. "Do you think that Mother will allow a Cairhien to become King one day?"

"Your mother did express interest, and the dowry is great. My father is prepared to go to higher lengths…" Lord Mayborn started.

"Lord Mayborn, in Andor it is my choice on who I will marry." Elayne said crisply.

"In the interests of peace and good relations, surely you could see…" Lord Mayborn began again.

Rand watched with a vindictive delight as Elayne's face darkened. Even he knew not to anger her when she was in this state. Young as she was, her temper could shatter the greatest of egos. Suddenly, there was movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, he had been sure he had seen a man walk into the balcony. His eyes roamed over the chairs, the walls, a plain looking man with a dagger, the plants in on the edge of the balcony, the torches on the wall…he suddenly moved his eyes back to the man, standing in front of him and resisted the urge to slide his eyes away as the dagger flashed. Rand ducked, sidestepping and drawing his sword. With a deft thrust, the man crumpled to the ground and the dagger clattered to the floor.

Elayne and Lord Mayborn looked up, surprise in their features as Rand pulled the sword from the man's chest.

"What is this?" Lord Mayborn asked in shock, regarding the dead man with a look of surprise on his face.

"Rand?" Elayne asked, her eyes wide.

Rand opened his mouth to answer when two more men walked into the balcony, one with a dagger and the other with a sword. His sword flicked as he moved forward, slicing the an arm and killing one man with a powerful blow, while dodging a swinging sword and ending it with a graceful flick that opened the mans throat.

"Guards! Guards! Murder on the third floor balcony! Murder! Murder! Guards!" Rand shouted as loudly as he could.

Lord Mayborn had withdrawn an ornate knife; gems crusting the hilt was Rand picked up the two daggers of the men, and the extra sword.

"Can you use a sword?" Rand asked Mayborn, who nodded hesitantly. Rand passed him the simple blade, slid a dagger into his belt and passed the other one to Elayne who took it with a determined look on her face.

"Where are the guards?" Mayborn asked, shivering as he looked at the bodies.

"Most likely dead." Rand heard himself say as he wrapped himself in the void, emotions and feelings poured into the flame of his mind and leaving him calm, focussed and relaxed.

"Dead…" Elayne echoed, fright entering her voice.

"I don't see how…ARGH!" Lord Mayborn screamed. Rand turned around as Mayborn collapsed, a plainly dressed woman withdrawing her knife from his chest. He swung his blade, knocking the knife from her hand and held his sword at her throat as Elayne knelt by the body of Mayborn.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" Rand demanded.

The woman's eyes were dead, the mind gone. Only her body still moved to somebody else's strings. "I am a Soulless." She replied, her voice slack and dull.

"They are a myth!" Rand burst out angrily. "Tales to frighten children!"

The woman said nothing. The Soulless were myths, people who had joined the Dark One and sold their souls to Him, leaving their bodies behind. They looked ordinary, so ordinary that ones eyes would slide right past them until the moment a knife entered their heart. But these were just myths, rumours, like Trollocs who were humans blended with vicious animals.

"Why are you here?" Elayne asked suddenly.

"To Kill." The woman said, and a note of pleasure entered her dull voice.

"What does the Dark One care about Elayne?" Rand pressed. The woman didn't answer and Rand pressed his blade against her throat, drawing blood from a thin cut. The woman panted, her eyes glittering with hate. When she spoke, her voice had changed.

"I am the Slayer."

Rand hesitated. Magic was at work here, some trickery or power he could not comprehend. "Why do you want to kill Elayne?" He asked angrily.

The woman's lips curled. "I don't. I want to kill you, dear nephew."

Rand felt as if he had been struck.

"Come to Rhuidean and we shall meet!" The woman growled.

Rand opened his mouth to say something when the woman gurgled, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and she fell to the ground. Rand stared at her for a second, his mind abuzz.

"Rand?" Elayne asked gently. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you well?"

Rand wanted to say no, he wasn't well. Somebody had tried to kill him, and an innocent person had paid the price for it. His gaze wandered over Lord Mayborn's body and he shuddered.

"I didn't know you had an uncle." Elayne said.

"I don't. Tam has no brothers." Rand answered.

Elayne looked as if she were to say something else, but footsteps pounded on stone as red robed and white armoured guards holding bared swords and notched bows stormed into the room, a mere nine of them.

"My Lady, are you hurt?" Captain Grimol asked in concern. His eyes flickered to the three plain clothed corpses, and the dead noble.

"No." Elayne said, an edge in her voice. "Where are the rest of the guards?"

"My Lady, they are dead. There are twenty men two rooms from here, and they're dead without one fallen enemy!" Grimol said. The other guards shifted on their feet.

"The nearest guards are in the Ball Room. There must be a dozen guarding the doors and several dozen more down the hall.." Rand said.

Captain Grimol nodded to himself. "Yes, reinforcements. Who were they?" He asked as an afterthought.

"The Soulless. Grey Men." Rand said.

Grimol stared at him, his face ashen. "Surely, they are myths?"

"Nay," said a grizzled veteran, old enough to be Rand's grandfather. "I have walked the Blight, where Trollocs and Myrddraal roam. They are not myths."

The guards suddenly looked tenser, as if monsters were going to leap at them from the shadows. Rand wouldn't be surprised if they did.

"We shall escort the Daughter-Heir to the Ballroom," Rand ordered. "We shall protect her with out lives, as our oaths demand. No shadow spawn will harm her while we breathe."

Captain Grimol nodded gratefully, willing to follow rather than lead.

"Then what shall we do?" asked a guard.

"Gareth Byrne will know what to do." Rand answered.

That put the guards at ease. Surely, if anybody knew what to do it would the Captain-General, veteran of many wars and one of the greatest Generals in the known world.

"Let's go." Rand said and took Elayne's arm with one hand, keeping his sword in the other.

* * *

It was a fearsome party that travelled the halls. The guards boxed Rand and Elayne in, their swords gleaming in torchlight and their bowstrings tense. As they neared the ballroom, the torches on the walls flickered and dimmed and a gushing wind spread through the hall.

"What was that?" Captain Grimol asked outloud.

"ARGH!"

A guard fell to the ground, being struck by shadows. Grimol whirled around as from the shadows came three identical black-cloaked figures. They were the same height and width, and carried identical swords that gleamed with darkness, soaking in all light.

"Myrddraal!" Breathed the veteran, his eyes in panic.

"Loose!" Grimol shouted.

Four bowstrings snapped as arrows jutted from one of the figures, which withered as another four arrows speared into it. Its hood fell back, revealing pasty white skin and a human nose and lips. But where the eyes should be lay blank skin, no groove or eyeball. It fell to the ground, twitching madly as the other two Myrddraal _glided _forward, moving with an unholy grace. Their swords flickered with a serpentine grace as they slashed forward. Two guards met them with their swords, and fell in seconds.

"Run!" Elayne shouted.

"Retreat!" Captain Grimol shouted to Rand. To the other guards, "Protect the Daughter-Heir!"

"For Elayne!"

"For the Golden Lily!"

* * *

Rand pulled Elayne along as Grimol and his men met the Myrddraal in battle, swords clashing wildly. Men screamed as he turned a corner and he knew that he would not see the Captain alive again. He ran, pulling Elayne along with him, for Light knows how long. It seemed like hours, but was probably minutes. As they rounded a corner, he saw two Guards that stood at attention.

"Guards! Intruders in the castle! Protect the Daughter-Heir!" Rand bellowed.

The guards jumped at his voice, one of them peering at him. Rand looked down at himself to see blood staining his shirt, his cloak was torn and his sword dripped with blood.

"Intruders?" The other guard wandered, pulling his sword from scabbard.

"Shadowspawn. Captain Grimol was fighting them…" Rand trailed off as a loud scream echoed in the corridors. "Come!"

The guards obeyed, following Rand as he sprinted through the corridors. He was in good shape, but Elayne was not and she tugged his arm.

"I need to rest!" She panted, her red-gold curls wild and her clothes rumpled. She still gripped the dagger in her hand.

"Guardsmen. Carry the Daughter-Heir!" Rand instructed.

"No!" Elayne shrieked. "Rand…" She warned.

Rand had to smile as the man hoisted up the girl to his shoulder, and couldn't help but laugh at Elayne's expression.

"Laugh as you will, al'Thor." Elayne said clearly, giving him a withering stare.

Rand stopped laughing, his lips still tugged upwards. To the guards, "I will stay here. Take Elayne to the Ballroom and get General Byrne."

"What?" Elayne asked in shock as the Guardsmen nodded. "Rand…"

"Elayne, I don't think it is you who they seek." Rand said. "You heard the Soulless. It is me they want dead."

"Why?" Elayne practically shrieked.

"I don't know!" Rand growled back, panic appearing in his eyes. For a moment, the void disappeared as panic flowed through him.

"Defender al'Thor. You swore to obey and protect me." Elayne said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You cannot do that while facing those…things alone. You will accompany me to the Ballroom. That is an order from the Daughter-Heir of Andor to her Guardsmen."

Rand hesitated, peering down the corridor. Elayne looked imperious and noble, even draped across a Guardsmen shoulder, but an undercurrent of fear shined in her eyes.

"Rand, please!" Elayne tried again, her tone of voice pleading with him. "As a friend, then. I ask as a friend. Get help, don't fight them!"

"Let's go." Rand said gruffly, "To the Ballroom."

The pair of guards nodded as they raced away.

Several minutes later, they found themselves in front of the Ballroom doors, with eight guardsmen standing guard,

"Intruders!" One of the guards accompanying Rand called out. "Protect the Daughter-Heir!"

The other guard let Elayne down, gripping his sword with two hands as they guardsmen guarding the Ball unsheathed swords, their faces showing surprise and shock then determination. They clustered around Elayne in seconds, boxing her in, while Rand squirmed his way out of the crowd

"Look out!" A guard called.

Three blurs moved from the shadows, swords moving like the wind. A guard screamed in agony as his arm was removed, only to be silenced a second later. Three Myrddraal, one with arrows stuck into him, moved towards Rand.

"Open the doors!" A guard shouted to the doorkeeper.

* * *

Elaida stood next to the Queen as she strolled the floor. The first course of the feast was finished, a particularly nice leg of ham. Morgase was in an irate mood, having finished talking to Lord Mayborn, who had been discussing the possibility of his son and Elayne in marriage. Morgase had told him no uncertain terms that Elayne was far too young for marriage, and that when she was older, that she would have a choice on the man she married.

Personally, Elaida did not care. She had the gift of foretelling, knowing things of the future, and she had once predicted that Andor would be essential in the Final Battle of the Prophecies, where the Dragon Reborn would lead the forces of Light against the forces of Shadow, and defeat the Dark One who would break free of his prison. She had immediately used her influence to gain herself a position of influence in Andor, as the Aes Sedai advisor to the throne.

Elaida suddenly stiffened. As an Aes Sedai, she had limited powers in sensing Shadowspawn, all creatures made by the shadow. It was limited, mainly as she had no bonded warder to heighten that sense, but she was sure she had sensed the rotting presence of a creature of darkness.

"Elaida?" Morgase asked her, and Elaida frowned. Suddenly, a loud scream of pain came from beyond the closed doors. The musicians stopped playing as Lord and Ladies turned to the doors, just as they opened. A stream of guards backed in, shielding Elayne who held a dagger. Three black figures moved like serpents, slicing through the guards easily and without effort.

The noble ladies screamed, crowding away from the doors. Gareth Byrne had an unsheathed sword and moved towards the Queen as Elaida drew herself up, filling herself with the One Power. She raised her hand as two more guards fell and a fireball erupted, searing the air. The Myrddraal dodged, turning its eyeless gaze upon her and moved for her.

* * *

_The One power, both Saidar and Saidin, is represented by five elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Spirit. By weaving different weaves together in different patterns, like a spider in a spider web, a channeler can create almost anything. Unfortunately, discovering these weaves is a dangerous job and many have died trying. The weaves from the Age of Legends have vanished, leaving many talents extinct.

* * *

_

Rand backed away as one Myrddraal moved towards the Aes Sedai, and the other towards him. No guard still lived with one Myrddraal dead. The Myrddraal had cut through the guards like a reaper through corn. He summoned the void and held his sword steady. The Myrddraal struck first, it's sword dancing. Rand barely blocked it, staggering back as the force of the blow almost knocked him off his feet. He unleashed Slicing the Silk, Ducking the Rock and Burning the Leaf, his sword clashing against that of the Myrddraal's.

The two danced, Shadowspawn and human, their blades a whirl. It took every bit of Rand's skill to stop himself from being hit. No creature Rand had seen moved as fast as the Myrddraal. Dimly, he was aware of its partner circling the Aes Sedai, lightning and fire erupting around it as it hissed. He concentrated upon his own opponent, rendering himself deep into the void. He ignored the tiredness and pain and anything else that skittered at the edge, and concentrated upon his movements.

Slowly, he began to drive the Myrddraal back, crossing the floor and coming to the doors. The Myrddraal jumped over the bodies, it's blade whirling as it slashed at a corpse and stabbed into a piece of flesh, flinging it at Rand. Rand took a step backwards and stumbled over one of the bodies. He suddenly felt a striking pain blare from within him outside the void as the Myrddraal's blade sliced upon his cloak and into his side. But it had overextended itself and Rand performed Fish Upstream, and the Myrddraal hissed as it's left arm severed, but did not stop the viciousness of its attack. It's blade, used by one hand, slice on Rand's head. For a moment, Rand thought it had missed but strands of hair coated in blood fell to the floor and he was kicked to the ground, the sword dropping from his hand.

The Myrddraal raised its sword and slashed downwards, and Rand saw red as it tore across his scalp as he leaned back, his hand groping for his sword. A second later he found his hilt and cut into the Myrddraal's leg, and as it fell he performed Dance of the Windmill. The Myrddraal fell to the ground, headless and legless but twitching just as the Aes Sedai cast a fireball from her hand, while directing lightning from the sky. The other Myrddraal dodged the lightning but exploded in a whirl of flames.

Rand could no longer hold the void and pain, exhaustion, tiredness and fear rushed through him. He lay on the ground, dimly aware of scores of guards flowing in with swords, bows, spears and halberds. It seemed like he had been fighting for hours, days, but in reality it had been twenty or thirty seconds. He closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion take him.

* * *

_A week later_

"Must you do this?" Elayne asked softly.

Rand nodded, alone in the stables save for the Daughter-Heir and Gawyn. A pack rested on his back, filled with food, water, herbs, his book on Manetheren and the book he never had been able to open let alone decipher, knives. His sword lay on his belt and he was dressed in black pants, a blue shirt and a thick cloak.

"Rhuidean is in the Aiel Waste." Rand told her as he picked up his pack. "I need to go."

"It could be a trap." Gawyn warned.

"It probably is. But should I stay here and wait for more Myrddraal? Let other people die for me? No, I will find this Slayer." Rand said, his tone determined.

"It is said that Two Rivers folk are stubborn when they think they are right." Gawyn said, amusement and resignation laced in his voice. Elayne, Gawyn and Rand were the only three who knew what the Myrddraal had been truly after that night. Elaida suspected, yes, and Gareth Byrne had given him a knowing look when he had informed the General that he was leaving on personal business. Officially, he was going to Illian to meet a friend. The rumours around the Guardsmen were that he was so upset at this attack, that he was going to the Borderlands and the Blight to wage war upon the Shadow forces.

"I could order you to stay. Your oath would demand that you obey." Elayne said stubbornly.

"Elayne," Rand said, his voice laced with exhaustion.

Elayne sighed, unballing her hands. "I release you from your oath." She said softly. "Do as you will."

"Good luck Rand." Gawyn said solemnly.

Rand bowed deeply. "And to you, Lord Gawyn." He hesitated. "And you, Lady Elayne."

He jumped on his saddle, the horse shuffling slightly. "Come on boy," He whispered and thumped his heels and the horse broke off at a trot. He was off to Rhuidean, where he would find out what was happening.

* * *

**A/N- I love the ending…so western like. I resisted the urge to write, 'He rode off into the sunset'**


	6. The Aiel Waste: Aviendha and the Truth

"Get out of here, you filthy Aiel!"

Rand hastily backed away, his hands up as a one-eyed farmer with a pitchfork growled at him.

"You took my eye, yes you did!" The farmer snarled, with hate and insanity etched on every feature of his face. "I'll take your life!" He attempted to impale Rand on the pitchfork, but missed terribly, staggering as he shook his head. Whether it be his old age or the ale he had just guzzled down, Rand did not know and did not stay and find out.

He jumped on his horse, kicking in his heels. The horse snorted as it galloped away from the small village near the Spine of the World. It was probably one of the only villages that had been left standing after the Aiel War. The horse continued it's galloping until it reached a cart, with another horse sitting next to it. Rand needed horses that could survive in the desert. He had paid the majority of his money for these ones. They were designed to go days without water or food.

"Off you go," Rand, told the horse, which snorted and flicked it's tail. He had several barrels of water, a barrel of dried and smoked meat, several blankets _(Night in the Waste was freezing), _a thick blanket that covered his cart and bedding. He had also bought a short bow and a three quiver of arrows, just to be on the safe side, as well as his sword, with grain for the horses. It was time to go.

* * *

The mountain range known as the Spine of the World was created during the Breaking of the World. Nobody knew why water did not fall on the eastern side of these mountains; some say that it had once been an ocean before all the water had evaporated into nothingness, while others say that the Spine of the World blocked the winds that would bring the rain clouds. The Waste was home of the Aiel, a mysterious race of fighters and barbarians. Nobody knew much about the Aiel, save that fifteen years ago they had crossed the Spine and ravaged half the world.

The reason for this was because of the King of Cairhien. Long ago, the Aiel gave a gift to the Royal family of Cairhien, a seedling from a very rare tree. This tree grew and prospered, and the Cairhienan's were given privileges that no other nation. While visitors to the Aiel Waste were usually captured by the Aiel, stripped naked and sent back with only a water bottle, the Cairhien merchants were able to cross the waste to the lands beyond it.

Then fifteen years, the King of Cairhien had chopped down the gift of the Aiel for timber to be used on his throne. The Aiel had taken great offence and had attacked Cairhien, Tear, Tar Valon and anybody they saw. They had only stopped once the King was dead and had retreated back, leaving half-destroyed nations still stunned at the ferocity of the attack.

* * *

_Days Later_

Rand sat on his cart, the camels standing patiently. He had crossed the mountains without meeting any Aiel warriors, and now the path ended and only a burning desert remained. He glanced down at the map in his hands, an ancient and torn piece of parchment. Several leagues away lay a valley called Rhuidean. That was where he had to go. He urged the camels on.

* * *

Aviendha, of the Bitter Water sept of the Taardad Aiel, crouched in the heat of the sun as she dug into the sand. A barely noticeable weed growing from between two rocks was the only clue that water, maybe no more than a puddle, was below. One had to be an Aiel to know how to find various waters sites throughout the Waste.

"I see you Aviendha," said a grave voice. A redhead Aiel with a suntanned face appeared over the rocks, a short spear in her hand and several strapped to her body. Enaila was shorter than most Aiel and extremely touchy about it.

"I see you," Aviendha replied, looking up at into the green eyes.

"Adelin has seen a tree killer." Enaila said.

Aviendha jumped up at that, her hand closing around her spears. "Where?"

"Isan is tracking him. He is a league south." Enaila said.

"There is only one?" Aviendha asked.

Enaila nodded. "We have five sisters with spears, we can fight a Wetlander." Her voice was full of scorn.

* * *

Rand's skin had darkened under the blistering sun. It had been five days since he had left the Spine of the World and already, he wished he could turn back. Only determination to find his supposed Uncle and his anger at the Shadowspawn that had attacked him kept him going. He had been through several barrels of his water, before he realised that he needed to ration it off carefully. So far, he had not seen any Aiel.

"Nimbar, Farstrider, halt." Rand commanded. The horses came to an obedient halt next to a rocky crop that would provide shelter from the sun for a little while. As he set up grain for the horses, small scatters of rocks fell down from the hillside. Rand looked up just as someone fell down on him, sending him and the other person to the ground.

Rand winced in pain, seeking the void as he jumped to his feet. His opponent, dressed in strange and loose clothes with a black veil across her face also jumped up, a short spear in her hand. Rand withdrew his sword as she moved forward, jabbing with her spear. With an uppercut blow, the spear was sliced in two and the woman halted as Rand placed the sword at her throat. Fierce green eyes burned at him and red hair blew back as a desert wind soared through the rocky alcove. Suddenly he was struck on the back of the head and pain stabbed through his skull as he staggered forward, his sword slashing the woman's shoulder. He whirled around, one hand clutching his head as four more women, some just girls, approached him, fanning out and circling him, all with spears in their hands.

"Wait!" Rand began, just as they advanced. He ducked a thrown spear, deflecting jabs and whirls with his sword before he grunted as one of them kicked him. His sword became a whirlwind of metal, moving faster than the eye can see as it blocked spears. He knocked one spear out of a woman's hand and sprinted forward, his shoulder up and slamming the woman down on the ground. His belted her over the head with the hilt of his sword, and she crumpled to the ground as the other three moved much more cautiously. The woman who he had slashed, the red-haired one, had not moved from her position, her eyes watching him curiously. The one groaning in pain on the floor also did not attempt to get up.

"Who are you?" Rand asked. He received no answer as they circled him like vultures around a carcass.

"Die Wetlander!" One of the women spat and she moved forward with her spear whirling like a quarterstaff. Rand grunted as she ploughed into him, her spear cutting into his thigh while his blade impaling her shoulder. He pulled his blade free, pushing the wounded woman away from his as the other women jumped forward. One managed to knock his blade from his hands and pinned him up against a rock, her spear touching his throat. Rand gulped, eyeing the spear nervously as his left hand slowly fiddled with his right sleeve.

"Let's just calm down," Rand suggested hopefully, his fingers nitpicking at a loose seam. There was a soft tearing noise and Rand hurled a pile of powder at the woman's face, moving his head just in time as the spear stabbed into the rock. The woman clutched her face, swaying around before she fell.

Rand had not used the poison, but rather the sleeping herb. He could not bring himself to kill a woman, whether because of his upbringing in Two Rivers or his own sense of chivalry. The last woman, a girl his age with reddish-dark hair and blue-green eyes watched him like a hawk as he picked up his sword.

"What sept are you? What clan do you belong to?" She demanded.

"I don't know what you mean," Rand said tiredly, flexing his leg with a wince. The spear had cut deep and blood dripped down, staining the yellow sand.

"You are a Wetlander then?" The girl said, surprise evident in her voice.

"I guess I am if you say I am." Rand answered, his sword still in one hand while he hastily tied a rag around his wound, putting pinches of herbs on the cloth as he did so.

The girl said nothing, glancing at her comrades. All save the sleeping one stood behind her, unarmed. Their spears lay on the ground and they watched him curiously as the girl with the spear circled him.

"I am Aviendha." The girl said abruptly. "Of the Bitter Water sept of the Taardad Aiel."

"I am Rand al'Thor, of Two Rivers. Defender of the Daughter-Heir of Andor, Blademaster." Rand shot back.

"You are not of the clans, are you? This is no deception," Aviendha spoke.

Rand shook his head. "I was told to seek an enemy out in a place called Rhuidean. I…"  
"The penalty of Wetlanders trespassing in Rhuidean is death." Aviendha cut in sharply.

Rand was silent, considering what she had said. "If I do not go, he will send Shadowspawn after me. He has already. He claimed to be my uncle and called himself Slayer. He said he would see me in Rhuidean."

Aviendha's face was blank, carved from stone as she glanced back at the women behind her. "This is Isan, Adelin and Enaila. I am Aviendha. The one at your feat is Maira." The girl said abruptly and put up her spear, raising her veil to reveal a pretty face. "You will come with us."

Rand hesitated, his eyes flicking to her spear. "I…"

"You will come to us, or we will strip you naked and send you back to the Wetlands with naught but a waterskin." Aviendha broke in.

"I will come with you, but of my own free will." Rand said, sheathing his sword. He grimaced as he let go of the void, pain finally being recognised and his leg almost collapsed beneath him. "Let me get my cart and horses."

"You will not need them." Aviendha said, while Isan, a yellow haired woman and Adelin, a girl with dark hair, picked up Maira, a copper haired woman.

"I think I will." Rand said firmly as he limped over to the horses, slapping their rumps. He struggled to put the barrel of grain in the cart, his leg throbbing, before Enaila hoisted it up without any effort.

"Thankyou." Rand told her honestly, but the girl just lowered her eyes meekly

"She is _gai'shain. _It is expected of her." Aviendha said sharply.

"Gashen?" Rand tried to pronounce the word.

Aviendha stared at him, her eyes assessing him. "No, it is true. You do not know." She murmured to herself.

"Aviendha?" Rand asked.

She shook herself from those thoughts. "Follow us with your…beasts." She said, eyeing the horses with disgust. "We will take you to the Clan Leaders."

"You can ride in the cart, there should be enough room for all of you." Rand offered.

Aviendha seemed insulted at the notion. "I will not." She declared firmly. "The others will do as your order."

"Well, at least put Maira and Enaila in. They are wounded." Rand protested, but was surprised when the redhead took the limp body of Maira and placed her in the cart, before jumping up and squatting silently.

"Follow." Aviendha commanded curtly.

* * *

Rand dfollowed the jogging girls for half an hour. The sun beat down on him and he put on a straw hat to shield his face, occasionally taking sips from his water bottle. He offered one to Enaila who just stared at him stonily, not uttering a word. Aiel were strange folk, Rand mused, as Aviendha rounded a bend. He tugged the reigns, and the horses followed her briskly. Around the bend came the view of tents and campfires, hundreds of them. Rand followed Aviendha in, aware of the eyes that watched him and the spears that were picked up.

"I see you Aviendha!" Somebody shouted, a white-haired woman with a scar marring her face. "Who do you bring?"

"A Wetlander with the face of a brother, Sulin." Aviendha said, casting a glance back at him.

The woman, Sulin, assessed him and her eyes went wide. "Shaiel!" She breathed, before composing herself. "You have the face of your mother, Wetlander."

"You knew my mother?" Rand asked, all attention suddenly on the woman.

"Yes, Shaiel was a friend." Sulin said.

Rand stiffened. "My mothers name was Kari, not Shaiel." He told Sulin curtly. "You must have the wrong person."

"You have your fathers anger." Sulin murmured. "Good, good."

"You know Tam al'Thor?" Rand asked her, astonished.

Sulin blinked. "I have not heard of that man." She spoke carefully. "I speak of Janduin, your father."

Rands face was like stone. "You have the wrong man," he said coldly. "My father is Tam al'Thor. I am his son, his son!"

Sulin took his rant in calmly. "No you are not," she said casually.

As Rand opened his mouth, a cool voice interrupted. "Sulin?"

Sulin turned as a woman with hair whiter than hers approached, dressed in grey robes and a necklace. Her eyes were sharp and she had the air of somebody who was used to being obeyed. As soon as her eyes fell on Rand, she motioned quickly with her hand.

"Bring him to my tent." She ordered.

Rand was about to protest when Aviendha grabbed his arm, not to gently. "Hey!" He snapped angrily. Her grip was like iron as she dragged him through the camp. Rand resisted the urge to strike at her or to draw his sword as she opened a flap in a large white tent and pushed him through.

Inside was surprisingly bare, with cushions on the ground and a small table with an ancient teapot. A rug of fur lay on the ground and Rand observed a young woman with red hair and green eyes glance at him sharply.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"Who are you?" Rand shot back, fed up with the treatment he had been receiving.

The woman pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes when the woman in grey robes walked into the tent, closing the flap.

"I am Amys." She said. "Melanie is her name."

"Rand al'Thor." Rand said curtly, but avoided her eyes like he was a child being caught stealing an apple. There was something about her that made him feeling very young and very stupid.

"So, the son of Janduin and Shaiel has returned to us." Amys mused. "Do not deny it boy! There are many their faces, and they can see them in you!"

Rand just sat there, angry beyond all belief…and scared. Tam would have told him if this were true…wouldn't he?

"Would you like to know about them?" Amys said gently, perhaps sensing his mood. She gestured for Rand to sit and he complied.

"Your Father was the Iron Mountain Taardad clan chief. His name was Janduin." Amys told him. She smiled. "He left the dream of life fifteen years ago."

Rand bit his tongue as Melanie gave him a sharp look.

"Your mother was Shaiel, of the Maidens of the Spear. She was not born Aiel, but wandered into the Waste. She later told me that an Aes Sedai named Gitara Moroso ordered her here. She was a stubborn woman; we stripped her and sent her back yet she followed the Maidens who had found her. Twice they beat her; three times they made her turn back. Yet she pursued them relentlessly until finally, they spoke to her. She was quick to join the Maidens, good with the spear."

"Was?" Rand said, despite himself.

Amys smiled, a touch sadly at him. "Shaiel was involved in the war with the oath breaker, the Wetlander king. She met your father during this war, and they conceived you. Later, your mother concealed her pregnancy. In the Maidens of the Spear, a woman is married to the spear and nothing else. If they wish for a man, they must put down the spear. If they have a child, it is taken away and given to another, far from where the maiden lives. Your mother did not want to give up the spear, and did not want to be sent back to the Clan, as she would have been if she had been discovered with a child. In the last days of the war, she fell to the Wetlanders near the lone peak called Dragonmount. She gave birth to a child, and we found her body. The child was not with it."

"You think I'm that child." Rand whispered, licking his lips. "But Tam…"

"This man raised you, clothed you, fed you and loved you." Amys said sharply. "He is your father in all but blood. Your blood father was Janduin, not this Tam."

"How…how did he die? Janduin, I mean. I know you're wrong, but…" Rand trailed off as Amys folded her hands together.

"He was in the land of the shadows, the Blight of the North. He was approached by a man with looks of Shaiel and would not raise a spear against him." Amys said. "This was months later, when you had been thought dead. Janduin…Janduin loved Shaiel. Without her, life was meaningless."

Rand sat still, his eyes staring into nothingness as Amys and Melanie left the tent. This was impossible! He wasn't an Aiel! His father was Tam al'Thor and his mother was Kari al'Thor! Not Janduin and Shaiel! It was impossible! Wasn't it…? With a dry cough, Rand thought back to all the times where somebody had told him that he looked like an Aiel…Gawyn, Guards, The farmer, Elaida, even Elayne! It was true…


	7. The Aiel Waste: The Eye of the World?

**A/N- I'm posting this so soon because there won't be one tomorrow, and maybe the next day as well.

* * *

**

The Aiel were a strange people. After a month of living with them, Rand still did not understand Aiel humour. What was funny about a woman stabbing her husband in the darkness of night, or a man marrying the sister of the woman he loved? Whenever he asked these questions, the Aiel would just look at him pityingly. After the attack by the Maidens of the Spear and the talk with Amys, Rand had been allowed to stay within the camp. When he had attempted to leave for Rhuidean, he was told rather forcibly that he had to stay until Amys saw fit. Amys was a Wise One, an Aiel with great wisdom and power within the communities.

So Rand stayed within the camp, rationing the grain for the horses sparingly, while presenting Aviendha with the water from his cart. When she had looked at him with an unrecognisable expression on her face, he had hastily explained that since the Aiel had taken him in and fed him, perhaps they could use the water. She had taken the water casks, but the next day she had given him a silver buckler, dull and battered but well made and worn in. It fit his arm perfectly and when he had thanked Aviendha she had scoffed.

"I do not want your thanks Wetlander," She had replied harshly. "Now, there is no debt between us." She did not sound too convinced with herself and had stormed away with a dark expression on her face, leaving a confused Rand and chuckling Aiel.

The day after Rand had arrived in the camp, Enaila, Isan and Adelin had come to him wearing robes of white and downcast heads. They had taken his used clothing, his dirty utensils and had fed, watered and brushed his horses without prompting, then they had stood around him, doing anything he asked or even commented on. According the Aviendha, they had been made _gai'shain, _a type of servant for one year and one day. When Rand had asked how, Aviendha had sighed angrily and glared at him.

"You made them _gai'shain._" She snapped angrily, her eyes flashing in defiance. "By defeating them in battle and laying a weapon on them without killing them, they are obliged to serve you until there day is up. Maira was spared, as you did not lay a weapon on her,"

"I stabbed Isan though, and wounded Enaila." Rand pointed out. "Doesn't that make this obsolete?"

"Normally it would," Aviendha said, sounding both disgusted and oddly pleased. "However, they have stayed as _gai'shain _purely for you." She had walked away then, doing whatever it was that she did after she had left Rand bewildered, not that he showed it though.

He was aware of his own status in the camp. While some men regarded him with disgust, the women, Maidens of the Spear, doted on him. Whether it be a Maiden asking if he needed blankets or a drink, or one offering her water with him, every maiden seemed to take pleasure in his company. Amys had explained that since Maidens gave the child to stay with the spear, his retuning was like all the children that had been given up returning to them. Rand didn't mind in some ways, it was comfortable to talk to women who had known his mother, but the Maidens could sometimes be enthusiastic. For instance, when bathing himself in a sweat tent _(A tent that is heated up to the point where the body sweats badly so that the person can use it to scrape the dirt from themselves,) _Maidens as old as grandmothers or sometimes two years younger than him would enter, undisturbed by his nakedness or theirs. They seemed to take great delight in his blushes and stammers, howling with laughter and making lewd comments. Aviendha seemed to be the only exception; her green-blue eyes would glint as she rounded on him as if it were his fault that he was, 'making a fool of himself'.

Still, life in the Aiel camp was enjoyable. Everyday he would learn the Aiel way of fighting with hands and feet, pitting himself against the other men of the camp. He would surely lose, but when he returned to the Wetlands…the world he had left behind, he would surely best most other people. He learnt the ways of the spear and the buckler _(a shield strapped to the wrist)_, and how to find water in the desert and what animals you shouldn't step on (_that being pretty much anything)_. He read on the history of his homeland, revising what he knew from the book he had bough years ago, and tried in vain to open the other book. He also learnt the ways of the Aiel. The Aiel had a very, very complicated honour system. Rand couldn't make heads or tails of it sometimes; some parts were just so confusing. For instance, it was considered an insult to speak of a lovers or partners mother or father unless they bought the subject up first, it was considered to be reasonable to for a man to have two or three wives. One of the most confusing things Rand didn't understand was the hatred of the sword. Every day, as the sun was setting the air was just right; Rand would practise his sword, going through the motions and the stances. And everyday, no Aiel would approach him or look at him until he had sheathed the sword. Once, he had left it in the cart and had come back to find Enaila about to throw it away. Ever since then, he had worn it on his waist.

* * *

"I see you Soldem." Rand greeted a tall lanky Aiel with red hair and grey eyes as he sheathed his sword, just finished his sword practice. The sun had set and there was barely enough light to see.

"I see you Rand." The man replied. He cast a dark glance at the Maidens sitting around the campfire as Rand sat down. "They have been acting like children again. I suggested that they wear bows in the hair."

Rand was slightly confused about the hostility between the Stone Dogs (_A Aiel Society) _and the Maidens of the Spear _(Another Aiel Society). _As Soldem spoke, a thin and wiry Maiden shook her buckle at him, which Soldem just stared down stonily.

"I hear that Stone Dogs fight where they should run, and run where they should fight." Aviendha spoke loudly. The Maidens howled and Soldem growled something under his breath. Suddenly a loud neighing from the horses echoed around the fire.

"I think I'll go and check on my horses." Rand said hesitantly, and stood up, heading into the darkness. He knew the camp well enough to wander in the dark. He came to his horses and stroked their flanks as he murmured words of comfort. The horses paid no attention, shuffling backwards as far as they could, pawing the ground with their hooves. They were extremely agitated, and Rand frowned as he turned to look in the darkness.

"What is it?" He asked them. The horses obviously didn't reply, but shuffled even further backwards. For a second, Rand saw two red, glowing lights from the dark, and heard a menacing growl that cast dread and fear into his heart. The horses screamed this time as Rand summoned the void in a flash and had his sword out. From the shadows leapt a large wolf, with glowing embers as eyes. Rand sidestepped, brining his blade up to bear as he dodged the leaping creature, slicing it into two. The wolf dropped to the ground, dead, and Rand heaved a sigh of relief. The horses suddenly broke free of their restraints and bolted away, just as the two parts of the wolf suddenly stared melting. Something slimy and sticky burst from the severed ends of both, and suddenly two wolfs stood where one had.

"Light, burn them!" Rand muttered as he held his blade up, wary.

Suddenly a flash of lightning erupted from the sky, striking one wolf. Several more followed the first, and the sand melted in the heat as one wolf bore the brunt of the attack. The other growled and leapt for Rand again.

"Duck!" Somebody commanded from behind him, and Rand obeyed as the wolf soared past his head. He turned his head to see Melanie, the redheaded Wise One, raise her hand. From it came a bar of white-liquid fire, pure and bright. The fire enveloped the wolf, and for a moment the wolf seemed to fold in on itself before it disappeared. As Melanie strode forward producing another bar of the strange fire to throw at the other wolf, veiled Aiel swarmed over the camp. Rand recognised Seldom and Aviendha as those in front. Rand stood on shaky legs, letting go of the void as Melanie produced a ball of light, casting away the darkness.

"You can channel." Rand said with a dry mouth.

Melanie looked at him if he were a child. "Yes." She said.

"What were they?" Rand asked her as he sheathed his sword.

"I do not know," She said, troubled. "They were unlike anything I had seen before, wolves of darkness."

That particular phrase struck home to Rand and he swallowed. "Darkhounds." He said coarsely.

"Yes, that might be true." Melanie said, thoughtful. Suddenly she raised her hands again just as Rand felt something emerge from behind him. He whirled around as two- dozen Aiel had the person surrounded by spears. Their veils swayed with the wind, the symbol of an Aiel who is ready to kill. When a veil has been donned, enemies of the Aiel know to flee.

"Who are you?" Melanie demanded.

The features of an ordinary- too ordinary, man came into light. His eyes however, burned with an unnatural fury and rage.

"You did not come to Rhuidean as I said." The voice coming from the man was the same dark voice full of power and anger that he heard from another Soulless before.

"Of course not." Rand said, pretending to be undisturbed. Some of the Aiel were feeling much like him, gripping their spears tighter.

"So. You will let the man who killed your father, who killed Janduin, run free."

"If you wish to fight me, then come to me." Rand said angrily, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"No. I have left Rhuidean now. If you still wish to seek me out, I will meet you at the Eye of the World in the Blight."

Suddenly the man gasped, blood pouring from his ears and he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

"Once, a party of youth went north. Many Aiel do, seeking a fight with the shadows. Most return, some do not." Amys said heavily from within her tent. "A group of Maidens were ambushed, with one survivor. A…Tinker…" here, the word Tinker was said with loathing. Rand blinked, wondering why the Aiel would hate the folk who refused to do violence. "And his family found the survivor. She lived long enough to warn that the Eye of the World was in danger."

"What is the Eye of the World?" Rand asked.

"I do not know." Amys said, sipping from her cup.

"It's in the Blight, is it?" Rand asked.

"That, I do know. Near the Wetlander nation called Shienar." Amys answered. She was silent for a second. "You will be leaving then." It was not a question.

"Yes. As I once said, this man will hunt me down until I am dead unless I do not meet him." Rand answered.

"May you always find Water and Shade," Amys said. "Perhaps a party of Maidens…"

"I need to move fast, on horseback." Rand said. "And Shienar was involved in the Aiel War and certainly does not have fond memories of Aiel."

"Very well." Amys said, her eyes mysterious and dark.

Rand's horses had been found and his cart packed with supplies by the time morning had come. He said goodbye to Soldem and a few other friends, before climbing his cart.

"You will leave then," Somebody said. Rand turned his head to see Aviendha staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Yes," He answered shortly.

"And what of Enaila, Isan and Adelin?" She demanded. "They are obliged to serve as _gai'shain_ to you?"

Nearby, the white robed figures of Enaila, Isan and Adelin stood silently.

"Where I am going, I would need spears, not _gai'shain._" Rand said. "Aiel are also not welcomed into the nation I will pass. Aviendha, Enaila, Isan and Adelin duties are up to you."

Aviendha opened her mouth to protest, but Rand urged his horses forward and they galloped madly, leaving behind the Aiel camp and the furious Aviendha.


	8. Shienar: Lord Rand and Captain Tallanvor

Rand stroked the flank of Farstrider and Nimbar as he drank from his waterskin, seated at the head of the cart. The mountains loomed between the pass he was taking, sheltering him from the worst parts of the desert. Why, it had even rained briefly yesterday, letting rand tilt his head and welcome the clean water on his tongue, rivets running down his face. The Aiel Waste lay one week past him, and the camp where he had stayed lay a further week away. Ahead, Rand could already see the semblance of trees and plants, grey and twisted as they were. It wouldn't be far to Fal Dara, the city closets to the Blight. There he could find more about the Blight, the Eye of the World, and prepare himself to enter the dominion of the shadow.

Some part of him protested heavily against this, the place where the extremes of fear, joy, anger, sadness and happiness were generated. But this part of him was small; it had been since he had been gentled. His mind fought of the lack of will to live with a single thought. The Slayer. He would find his supposed Uncle and find out what was going on. If he died, then so be it.

* * *

"He shames us all," Aviendha burst out angrily, before lowering her eyes as Amys stared at her. A faint red blossomed on her cheeks as Amys gave her a penetrating stare, rivaling the best of Aes Sedai. Amys couldn't channel, not all Wise Ones could, but she was the oldest and recognized as the wisest Aiel of them all.

"Hold your tongue child," Amys spoke warningly. "He is an Aiel in blood only; He does not know our ways."

"I taught him!" Aviendha said sullenly. "He should know enough to know that forsaking _gai'shain _is dishonorable."

"What will you do them, Maiden?" Amys asked. "It has been a fortnight, and you have protested much about Rand. I grow tired of it. Do then, what you will then, you have my blessings."

Aviendha said nothing, but a determined glint came into her eyes.

"He needs spears, sister, not _gai'shain._" Amys called after her. She stopped on her tracks, silent and unmoving. "If the others cannot accept that, then they shall stay and carry out their _gai'shain _duties here. Honor is not lost by picking up the spear before the appointed time…When Rand al'Thor defeated them, he was not yet Aiel. He is still not Aiel."

As Aviendha stormed off into the camp, snapping orders and commands, Melanie stood by Amys' side, her face unreadable.

"What do you plot now?" She asked, half in exasperation, half in amusement.

"Rand al'Thor will have the Maidens of the Spear behind, whether he knows it or not." Amys said, smiling slightly. "He is all of their sons, or brothers,"

"Aviendha does not seem to feel that way. She is concerned about honour, not kinship," Melanie said.

Amys smiled mysteriously. "Ah, maybe she is." She said. "Or maybe she feels for him more strongly than the others,"

* * *

It was a small party of Aiel that left the camp, with twenty Maidens and ten Stone Dogs. Aviendha led the Maidens with Enaila, Isan and Adelin by her side, while Soldem led the Stone Dogs, nine other tall men beside him.

"We must make haste," Aviendha said shortly, her eyes boring into Soldem's. Soldem nodded, his suntanned brow creased.

"Al'Thor would take Niamh pass if he wished to cross into the Leafblighter's land." He said.

"Then we shall follow." Aviendha nodded sharply.

"He has beasts to do his work for him; we may not catch him at all." A Stone Dog, red hair and blue eyes, said.

"If he approaches Wetlander cities, then we must catch him at the Eye of the World." Enaila said. Gone were her white robes, in her hands lay her spear.

"None of the Aiel has ever been to the Eye of the World." Adelin said.

"None of us has ever needed to." Soldem said softly.

"We shall find Al'Thor…and drag him back like the perpetual child he is." Aviendha declared firmly. The Maidens raised their spears, banging them on their bucklers and hollering.

"Lead on Aviendha, of the Bitter Water sept." Soldem said, gesturing forward and forsaking leadership.

Aviendha nodded, pleased with herself.

* * *

"Elayne, it has been a few months since Rand left. Are you ever going to come out of this tantrum?" Gawyn asked his sister in the privacy of the garden.

The fourteen year old stood up straighter, her eyes glinted. "I am not in a temper!" She spat out angrily.

Gawyn nodded. "Of course you are not, my Lady. I spoke in haste."

Elayne had grown much, shedding her prepubescent body for a rapidly maturing figure. Her red-gold tresses lay across her back, held back by a silver tiara while her blue and silver dress clothed her body.

"I just…want to know what is happening." She finally confessed to her brother.

Gawyn nodded. "So do I." He admitted. "Rand…with Myrddraal and Light knows what else on his trail,"

"And this Slayer, he called Rand his nephew." Elayne said, shivering. "Rand said his father had no brothers,"

"Perhaps Rand does not know of his true father's family. I always suspected he was Aiel, he had the looks but not the mannerism I have read about." Gawyn said, frowning. "Perhaps Slayer is Aiel, they are savages after all."

"If Rand is Aiel, does that make him a savage?" Elayne broke in sharply.

Gawyn bowed his head. "Of course not, My Lady."

Elayne nodded in satisfaction. "I wish I could send a party of troops after him," She admitted.

"Can you not?" Gawyn asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Rand had friends within the guard. I do suspect that even Gareth Bryne liked him." Gawyn said. "Could you not ask Gareth to discreetly send a party of Queens Guards in search?"

"Where would they start?" Elayne asked.

"Slayer is a Darkfriend. Should not the Borderlands be searched? Shienar and Arafel are the two closest Border nations to Andor." Gawyn said.

"I can see that Gareth's training is paying off. You shall make an excellent First Prince, leading Andor's Armies." Elayne said, a smile tugging her lips.

"My Lady, I tell you this only because Gareth has already done so…at my insistence. It would be better if he had the approval of the Daughter-Heir though." Gaywn admitted.

"And you tell me this now?" Elayne said her voice now cold.

"How could I broach the subject without sounding…?" Here Gawyn hesitated.

"Very well. Tell Gareth Byrne that I asked him to send out the party. Curiously, how many Queens Guards did Gareth send out?"

"Two parties, a hundred swords each." Gaywn told her.

"Good. Send a message by pigeon, they are to find Rand and bring him back to Caemlyn." Elayne ordered.

"Against his will?" Gawyn questioned in surprise.

"Better alive and angry then dead." Elayne said grimly.

"Gareth will not be expecting approval…he will wonder why the Daughter-Heir has such a vested interest in a Guard?"

"Who was once my Defender." Elayne broke in.

"Is that the only reason?" Gawyn asked. He received no reply.

* * *

_One week later_

Fal Dara was the biggest fort Rand had ever laid eyes on. In terms of size, it was smaller than Caemlyn, but the walls surrounding it were higher. For a mile in every direction, nothing taller than grass surrounded the town. Nobody could sneak up on the town without one of the many towers seeing them. While the walls in Caemlyn were beautiful, the builders here had decided that they did not what anybody though. The walls were made from ugly grey stone, hard and strong, and the wall looked as if it would stand forever, and never be beaten down. Buildings were clustered inside the walls, while a huge fortress stood on the top of the hill. A dry moat surrounded it, the bottom filled with lines of razor-sharp steel spikes. Large gates, made of thick metal, were guarded by looming towers with arrow slots to fire a hundred bows.

Rand received many looks, some curious, some dirty, as he rode his cart into the town. Adults and children milled the streets, the silence was almost overpowering. Rand passed a single inn, named _Guardians_.

"Good evening sir," Said a rough-raced but kind eyed man.

"How much for a room?" Rand asked. "And a stable stall for two horses,"

"Four silvers a night," The Innkeeper drawled.

Rand checked his moneybag. He had a total of fifteen silvers left, only enough for three days. "I'll have the room for three days then,"

The Innkeeper took the money and bowed his head. "Welcome to the Guardians, good sir."

"My name is Rand al'Thor." Rand told the Innkeeper as he went up the stairs.

* * *

After a refreshing sleep, Rand came down the stairs, dressed in a dark cloak and a brown tunic.

"Good Evening My Lord," The Innkeeper called out past the mutterings and chatting of the common room. Many an eye turned to Rand, who ignored them easily, seating himself at a table.

"What would you like for breakfast, my Lord?" A pretty barmaid asked a lovely smile on her face.

"If you have bacon, I will buy it." Rand said with a frown on his face. "And I am not a lord."

The barmaid looked confused as she walked away.

"Hey boss! Bacon for the young Lord." She called out.

"So, what did he say?" said the Innkeeper in a low voice. Several patrons leant in as the barmaid smoothed her skirts.

"He says he isn't a Lord, yet he has a lord's name." She told them.

The Innkeeper frowned. "He doesn't dress like a Lord."

"He is a southerner, I recognize the accent. But his looks, they are Aiel." One patron, a seasoned soldier, said.

There were hisses at the mention of the savages that had ravaged Shienar for months, before retreating.

"Maybe he is from Cairhein. I heard that all nobles play the Game." Another patron said, glancing over at Rand, who sat, seemingly oblivious to the examining he was receiving.

"The Game?" The barmaid asked.

"Aye. Everything a noble does or says or doesn't do and doesn't say, it's all part of a plot or ploy. He's probably plotting something now, using manipulations and the what-not." The patron whispered.

"He's very good then," The Innkeeper said. "I did not recognize him for a Lord until he told me his name,"

"You see. He will deny being a Lord yet he will tell people his name, so that they will tell others he is a Lord." The patron looked pleased with himself.

"That makes sense." The Barmaid said slowly. Suddenly a plate of bacon was slapped under her nose and she picked it up. As she delivered the food to the southerner Lord, a man slipped from the Inn. He had to report to Lord Agelmar. At best, the Southerner Lord was here to help; at worst…he was a Darkfriend. If he was, then the guards would not get a chance to arrest him. The crowd would tear him apart, limb form limb.

Rand finished his bacon with great relish. He couldn't remember the last time that he had eaten hot bacon. It had to be months. He flicked his eyes over the chatting patrons and the Innkeeper. He could tell by the sidelong looks he was receiving that they were talking about him. He wouldn't be surprised if one of them worked for the Shienar army. He watched as one of them stood and make his way to the door, a flash of bronze underneath his cloak. Rand stood and the barmaid walked over, before letting out a gasp as her eyes riveted to the sword by Rand's side. Rand followed her gaze and saw the heron-mark bared, for all to see.

"Are you a Blademaster, My Lord?" The barmaid asked in awe.

Rand shifted uncomfortably. "I have the skills, yes." He admitted. "And I am not a Lord?"

"You have the name of one." The barmaid said daringly.

Rand looked at her in honest surprise. "Rand?"

"Al'Thor. The prefix 'Al' indicates Lordship."

"It doesn't from where I come from." Rand said in surprise.

"Oh." The barmaid uttered. She shook her head and smiled brilliantly. "That's two coppers."

Rand paid her the money. "Listen, I'm looking for information about the Blight, something in it called the Eye of the World."

"You seek the Eye of the World?" The barmaid asked, before her face bore a look of understanding. "So that's why you're here. Why do you want to find the Eye?"

"I am to meet somebody there." Rand replied. A dark looked cross his face. "According to him, I am his nephew. He goes by the name, Slayer."

"Slayer," The barmaid echoed, a coil of terror squirming in her belly. The trollocs of the Blight had been raiding heavily this past year, shouting battle cries attributing Slayer as their leader.

"That's right. You've heard of him, haven't you?" Rand deduced that by the expression on her face, Slayer was not a popular person here.

"Darkfriend!" She howled, backing away from the table like a madman.

"Blood and Ashes!" Rand groaned as the patrons from the tables jumped up, swords, knives and ale mugs appearing in their hands. He held his hands up in a placating gesture as the crowd turned on him, anger in their eyes. "Listen, I am not a Darkfriend!"

"He says that his uncle is Slayer!" The barmaid shrieked, pointing wildly at him.

"So!" Rand shouted back. "I really don't think he cares, he has tried to kill me before!"

"And all of us!" One man snarled, with a shaven head and a top-knot colored brown and the armour of Shienar soldiers. "The Trollocs sing his name as they attack and kill our people!"

"He sent Shadowspawn to kill me!" Rand yelled, backing away with his hand leaping to his sword hilt.

This sent interest in the crowd. "A southerner with knowledge of Shadowspawn?" One man muttered.

"Like what?" The soldier jeered.

"Myrddraal! Soulless!" Rand said quickly.

"Soulless?" One person asked another.

"Grey men." The other person said back.

"What's going on here?" Somebody called from the entrance. Rand couldn't see who was standing there, the crowd blocking is view, but the accent and voice was familiar. It sounded…Andorian.

"Who are you?" The Innkeeper asked roughly.

"Captain Tallonvor, Her Majesties Queens Guards." The voice answered. "I am searching for…"

"Captain!" Rand yelled.

"Defender Al'Thor?" The Captain's voice sounded incredulous. The crowd parted as the Captain, a dark eyed man with a golden knot on his shoulder, dressed in the Queens Guard uniform, pushed his way through.

"Hello Captain." Rand greeted weakly, his hand still on his sword.

"What is going on?" The Captain asked the crowd.

"He's a Darkfriend!" One man yelled.

"What? I can hardly believe that!" Tallonvor scoffed at the mere idea. "He is here to fight the shadow, for they attacked the Daughter-Heir of Andor."

"Shadowspawn in Andor?" A man with yellow hair asked.

"I had heard rumors, but we are always so focused on the north." The solider said, more to himself than anybody else.

"He is the nephew of Slayer, the commander of the Trollocs that attack and kill our people." Another person shouted, rather desperately.

"Slayer?" Tallonvor frowned, turning to Rand.

"The person who organized the attack on Andor," Rand explained hastily. "He also attacked me two weeks ago, with a Darkhound."

The soldier in the crowd suddenly looked interested. "Sit and talk," he offered as he put his sword away. "Tell us about Slayer."

Rand and Tallonvor watched the crowd break up, sitting down in their seats as they turned expectant eyes on Rand.

"What are you going here?" Rand muttered under his breath.

"I am retrieving you. We were sent by Gareth Byrne roughly a month ago, and received a pigeon from Lady Elayne a week ago to get you back to Andor. Imagine my surprise when I walk into the first Inn in Fal Dara and find you here." Tallonvor grinned, clapping Rand on the back. "The Guards heard how you were so angered by the attempted attack on Lady Elayne that you swore to fight the Shadow to Shayol Ghul itself."

Rand groaned as he was led to the bar. He almost missed being by himself, but seeing a friendly face was refreshing.

"So, tell us about Andor." The Innkeeper asked, leaning forward eagerly.

* * *

Lord Agelmar was a middle-aged man, with a bald head save for a top-knot, which was white as snow. His lines bore creases from frowning and worry and his eyes were brown stones, hard and cold.

"So, you say that this youth boasts that he defeated a Myrddraal one-on-one." He asked the soldier.

"Yes sir." The soldier uttered, standing at attention, his eyes planted on the wall. "Also, he describes a Darkhound and says that he was attacked by one, but got away. He was very vague about the second attack."

"Could they not be simple boasts?" Lord Agelmar asked. "I can count the few swordsmen in Fal Dara who can fight a Myrddraal single-handedly, and those who could defeat one; I can count them using one hand."

"Sir, he describes the effects of Myrddraal, the fear that accompanies them, their faces. Also, the Andorian Captain swears that it is true."

Lord Agelmar frowned into his ale glass. A few days ago, a fist of Andorian horsemen approached Fal Dara with messages of peace. At first, Lord Agelmar was overjoyed. Long had the Borderlands fought against the shadow without help from the south. But the horsemen were here to seek out a man, and apparently they had found them. This man was the same youth that he had received reports about, as the mysterious young lord who had ordered a room in _Guardians._

"Send out an invitation for Lord Al'Thor to dine with me and some friends." Lord Agelmar said abruptly.

The soldier bowed his head as he walked from the room.

* * *

Tallanvor and Rand walked through the heavily armed keep of Fal Dara. The Andorian Guardsman attracted some attention, with his bright red armour and his flowing golden cloak, but shrugged off then looks easily.

"You look well." Tallanvor said, frowning speculatively over at Rand. "You have grown, built some muscles up. You are sixteen now, are you not?"

"That is right." Rand confirmed. As he inspected a small trinket from a market stall, he glanced over at the courtyard. Like the streets, it was full of people. Armored soldiers and horses milled about, while blacksmiths worked in the corners with their forges emanating searing heat. The sound of metal striking metal could be heard from the market and fletchers shaved pieces of wood, preparing arrows. Tallanvor noticed his curiosity at the soldiers.

"I have been told that in the past six months, Trolloc groups have tried to seize Shienar. These groups have numbered in the hundreds of thousands, the largest groups since the Trolloc Wars. Shienar is being weakened, but is holding the borders well. They are preparing themselves to go to the Watch Towers and fortify Tarwin's Gap."

"Tarwin's Gap?"

"It is the largest trail from the Borderlands to the Blight. There are no other usable paths for miles. If Shienar can hold the Gap, then they stop any Trollocs entering Shienar."

"I've never seen a Trolloc before, have you?" Rand asked Tallanvor.

Tallanvor shook his head. "I have not seen a single Shadowspawn in my life…unlike you."

Rand grimaced and looked away, to see a young boy running up towards him.

"Are you the Southerner Lord?" The boy panted.

"I keep telling everybody, I am not…oh, never mind. Yes, I am," Rand sighed.

Ignoring Tallanvors look of disbelief, Rand accepted a smooth piece of parchment from the boy, who bowed jerkily and ran off. Rand opened it up and read the contents, before handing it to Tallanvor.

_Lord al'Thor,_

_I have recently heard of your arrival in Fal Dara, and your tales of Shadowspawn as far south as Andor. I would like to talk to you, face to face. Therefore, I invite you to my table tonight at the Keep. I and a few close friends will eagerly be waiting for your company. I have heard that you are interested in the Eye of the World. One of my guests, Lord alFrondice Dremenden is a keen enthusiast on the subject and would be delighted to discuss it with those who are interested. Simply present this message and the gates and you shall be allowed to pass. Dinner starts at sunset._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Agelmar_

"You are a Lord now?" Tallanvor asked in amusement.

Rand flushed slightly but met Tallanvors stare steadily. "The prefix of al, in a name is a sign of royalty or Lordship." He said calmly.

Tallanvor nodded. "Will you accept?" He asked.

"If this Lord Dremenden has knowledge of the Eye of the World, then I must." Rand commented, his brow furrowing. "I do not look like a Lord though,"

Tallanvor grinned. "Then we will have to make you look like one."

* * *

It was at sunset that Rand presented himself at the gates of the Keep. No longer dressed in ragged and dirty clothes, he wore a shirt of red silk with golden linings and a high collar. His paints were black and his belt was made with golden links, his sword hanging off in its plain and battered scabbard, a dark cloak lay over his shoulders, the hooch made from silver. Captain Tallanvor had spent a bag of gold on these clothes and had waved off any mention of repayment.

"You would be surprised how much I am getting paid to complete this mission." He had said.

Now Rand stood at the gates of the giant keep. Towers were lit brightly, and in the town no part was left dark. This was to stop Myrddraal from using the shadows to transport themselves into behind the walls. Rand had thought that that ability had been a myth, but here everybody treated it seriously. The Keep loomed, ominously, tall and silent. It would take an army of millions to bring it down.

"I am Rand al'Thor. I received this invitation…" Rand trailed off, showing two blurry guards the message.

One of the guards read the parchment and bowed. "My Lord, we have been given instructions to let you pass."

Rand thanked them and walked to the thick gates, taking a small side gate into the Keep courtyard. Guards patrolled warily, some holding dogs on leashes and all holding swords or spears. In the towers, Rand could see archers with looking glasses, looking outwards pas the city walls in search for Trollocs.

"This way, My Lord." Came a young voice and Rand turned to see a small girl, maybe nine, standing there. Flanking her were two tall men, two swords on their backs and one on their belts.

The girl smiled up at him, red hair framing a small, pale face. Brown eyes stared at him behind freckled cheeks and she wore a silk dress, made from silver and purple silks and embroidered with blue flowers.

"I am Jania Dremenden," The girl introduced, curtsying.

"I am Rand al'Thor," Rand introduced himself, smiling at the child and bowing low.

"I was asked to bring you to the table." Jania told him.

"Lead on, My Lady." Rand said.

"Shall you escort me?" Jania asked.

Rand hesitated, before giving her his arm, which she latched upon. As she led him to the Keep, the two men trialed behind the both of them.

"Did you really fight Myrddraal?" Jania whispered as she led him into the main doors, past several guards.

"Who told you that?" Rand asked.

"It's all over the city. Everybody is wondering about the Southerner Lord, who boasts of fighting Fades and walks with Andorian Captains." Jania said, leading him up a flight of stairs.

"I did…but I didn't boast it." Rand admitted.

Jania said nothing as she approached two thick doors, made from shiny steel. A doorkeeper stood to the side, armed with a small sword. It seemed that everybody Rand had seen in Fal Dara was armed, the price of living in the Borderlands.

"Lady Jania Dremenden, of House Dremenden of Shienar, and Lord Rand al'Thor, of House al'Thor of…" Jania trailed off.

"Two Rivers," Rand supplied. The doors opened and Jania tugged on his arm. Rand straightened his back, squared his shoulders and tried to imitate the walk of Andorian nobles.

Lord Agelmar stood as the doors opened, the keeper calling out those who walked in. Rand al'Thor looked just as his men had told him. He had the face of an Aiel, yet walked like a Lord. His battered scabbard contrasted with his clothes, but the hilt of the sword bore a heron, the sign of a Blademaster. Only a true Blademaster would keep the scabbard the sword had came in. His hair was reddish-brown, his eyes a pale grey and his shoulders square and thick. A scar was faintly visible on his hairline, a few grays marking dead hairs, as well as a slash on his cheek.

"Good Evening Lord Al'Thor," Lord Agelmar greeted. Half a dozen nobles from his table also stood, bowing or curtsying as al'Thor walked up the hall. For a moment, Agelmar caught a glimpse of frustrationin the youth's eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Good evening Lord Agelmar and guests." Lord al'Thor offered, bowing slightly. Lord Dremenden's child curtsied to her father, letting go of Al'Thor's hand and seating herself quietly.

"Would you care to sit?" Lord Agelmar offered, waving a hand at the seat next to him.

"I would be honoured, Lord Agelmar." Lord Al'Thor said, bowing once again.

Rand felt content having slipped himself in the void. He watched the Lord's and Ladies talk. Apart from Lord Agelmar, there was Lord Intgar, a Captain in the Shienar army, Lord Mandoren and Lord Dremenden. Lady Dremenden and her cousin, Lady Azerel also sat with the Lords. Dinner was delicious and Rand was happy to lean back and eat as the Lord's discussed everything from grain imports to Trolloc raids.

"We have ninety thousand men at the Watch Towers, with another five thousands leaving tomorrow." Lord Intgar was saying. "It will hold."

"The first raid had Trollocs numbering in the thousands, the second raid, fifty thousand and the third raid two hundred thousand. The next raid will be bigger." Lord Mandoren said, curling his lip. "We cannot hold out against such numbers."

"All of the Borderlands have been raided heavily this past year. Shienar has taken the worst of it, but the others cannot send soldiers. They need them as much as we do." Lord Agelmar said wearily.

"What of the Southern Nations then?" Lord Dremenden said, his eyes turning to Rand. "Would they be willing to send soldiers?"

"The Royal Palace of Andor was attacked by Myrddraal and Soulless not long ago. I understand that the Daughter-Heir was caught in the midst of it, but she survived. Would Andor seek retribution against the Shadow?" Lord Agelmar asked.

Rand kept his face clear as he sipped from his glass. "Have you asked?"

Lord Dremenden stared at him, before bursting out in booming laughter. "I like you," He said, gulping his wine.

"We sent an emissary to any nation who could help weeks ago. We have had no reply." Lord Agelmar said seriously.

"Send another. Sign it out for the Daughter-Heir of Andor, Elayne. She will make sure that it gets to her mother." Rand replied.

Lord Agelmar regarded him for a few moments. "Very well then," he finally said.

"Have you asked the White Tower?" Rand pressed on. "Aes Sedai could make a big difference in the battle."

Lord Agelmar shook his head. "Apart from the occasional Sister, no Aes Sedai has fought battles with Shienar for decades. They are firm in their belief that we can win,"

"And they should be. Since the Breaking of the World, the Borderlands have held back Trollocs and Myrddraal and Dreadlords." Lord Mandoren said loudly.

"But we are losing." Lady Dremenden said softly, the first time she had spoken. Her daughter, Jania, looked both fascinated and scared by the conversation she was hearing. "With the fall of Malkier, not fifty years ago, and the larger numbers of Trollocs present in the raids, we are losing men and ground. Each year, the Blight creeps ever so closer."

"What do you recommend, Lord Al'Thor?" Lord Intgar asked.

Rand was silent, his mind churning. How could he play Lord? Did they know that he wasn't? Were they pressing him? But as he stared into their eyes, he could see that they wanted answers to questions they could not answer.

"I think…that Shienar and the Borderlands have been alone for too long. You have become accustomed to fighting battles where the chances are slim. But now, if what I am hearing is correct, the chances are worse then ever. I think you need to be brutally honest with the, Illian, Tear, but especially Andor, Cairhein and Tar Valon. If you tell them that you are unable to hold the borders any longer, they will send help. Tar Valon is next in line if Shienar falls, then Andor and Cairhein. They all have a vested interest in keeping Shienar free from the Trollocs." Rand said, before shrugging. "That is only my opinion though, and I never claimed to be good at politics."

Silence descended on the table, lasting several minutes, before the servants came to clear away the remains of dinner.

"I heard that you were interested in the Eye of the World," Lord Dremenden said.

Rand nodded. "Yes, I am. Very interested in it actually,"

"What are your plans for tomorrow, Lord Al'Thor? For I am riding back to my manor, just half a days ride from Fal Dara. I would be honoured if you would join me. I have several interesting texts that you could read." Lord Dremenden offered.

"I would…be honoured, Lord Dremenden." Rand said.

Jania suddenly yawned loudly, before covering her mouth. Her cheeks were stained with red as her mother gave her a sharp look.

"It is late, and we shall need a good nights sleep if we are to leave early tomorrow. If you wish to ride with me, I will be leaving the Keep stables at the seventh hour after midnight." Lord Dremenden said.

Rand smiled in thanks and stood. He bowed, "Goodnight Lords and Ladies of Shienar."

* * *

"So, how was it?" Tallanvor asked as Rand walked into his room.

"I am riding with Lord Dremenden tomorrow. He is going to show me information about the Eye of the World." Rand said tiredly. He yawned and rubbed his bleary eyes. "Being a Lord is hard work, Captain."

"I'm sure it is." Tallanvor agreed. "I shall leave, and my fist of horsemen shall be an hour's ride from you at all times. If you do not find the information you seek, then I can delay no longer. I have orders from Gareth Byrne and Lady Elayne to bring you back to Caemlyn, against your will if it may be,"

Rand stiffened, staring at Tallanvor coldly. "Let me sleep them,"

Tallanvor nodded. "Goodnight…My Lord."

He left, leaving Rand alone in the brightly lit room. Rand shed his clothes and lay on his bed, his hand rested on his sword hilt. Slowly, he released the void and welcomed the wave of fatigue that sent him to sleep.


	9. Shienar: Trollocs and a Rescue

"Good Morning Lord Rand," Lord Dremenden greeted cheerfully. He was a dark haired may with sharp eyes and while yesterday he had been wearing expensive silks, today he was wearing battered armour and a large broadsword. Next to him, his wife wore armour and a short sword at her waist, while twenty horsemen wore heavy chain mail and carried thick and long lances. Only Jania, Dremenden's child, wore clothes of comfort, a loose fitting dress. But even she had a belt knife tucked away,

"Good morning," Rand greeted, somewhat awkwardly. He had chosen to wear his noble clothes at the insistence of Tallanvor, and looked and definitely felt out of place. He still had his sword strapped to his waist, a knife or two up his sleeves, a buckler in his saddle and several pouches of powders, some poison and some sleeping agents. But he looked like a fool, and Rand didn't miss some of the looks the soldiers were sending him, bordering between amusement and scorn.

"I compliment you on your silk-weavers," Lady Dremenden said, eying Rand up and down. "Those are fine clothes. Why, they appear to be identical to the ones you wore yesterday."

Lord Dremenden gave a refuel look to Rand. "Wife! Be silent towards my guest!" He spoke sharply.

Lady Dremenden nodded meekly, bowing her head and Lord Dremenden shifted in his saddle, looking faintly satisfied.

Rand masked his shock by inspecting his saddle. Nobody he knew would ever talk to a woman like that! But Lady Dremenden did not look shamed, or embarrassed. In fact, she eyed her husband akin to pride and love; as if she was pleased he had taken his tongue to her. The Shienar's were a strange folk.

"Where is your manor?" Rand asked Lord Dremenden.

"Tis half a days ride south-east. Trollocs have not appeared in that region for several decades, so I only bring a few men with me." Lord Dremenden said. He turned to Rand, eyeing his horse. "Are you ready to depart now?"

"Whenever you wish to leave, I will follow." Rand answered awkwardly.

Lord Dremenden eyed him shrewdly. "You do not sound like a southerner Lord, you are much to humble."

Rand shifted under his gaze, but the man turned back and spoke in a loud voice. "Be prepared to depart!"

* * *

The ride was very long and the scenery changed as the hours went past. Trees that were brown and sickly near Fal Dara became green and lively, with flowers blossoming everywhere. Birds chirped and butterflies flew, streams trickled and rivers burbled. But no matter how deceptive or peaceful the foliage looked, Lord Dremenden's armsmen were always alert. Their heads snapped around at the slightest sound, and some men continually kept their arrows notched in their bows, as if expecting the worse.

Lord Dremenden was also wary, but his wife and daughter did not seem to share that concern. In fact, occasionally Jania would ride off ahead followed by six guards and five minutes later, she would be waiting with bracelets made from pink and red flowers, a huge smile on her face.

"She is adorable, no?" Lord Dremenden said wistfully. "I have kept her from the horrors and evils of the Blight. She knows, of course, about Trollocs and Shadowspawn but she does not comprehend. Such innocence is rare this far north."

Rand nodded, eyeing the girl. He wondered if he had ever been as innocent or happy before but dismissed the thought.

Jania handed her mother the flower bracelet and galloped her horse off ahead, followed by the fond grumbled of the six guards that followed her.

"There she goes again," Lord Dremenden said wistfully. He and Rand rode at the head of the column, side by side. "So, you seek the Eye of the World?" He suddenly asked abruptly.

"Yes." Rand answered slowly.

"Most people don't know what the Eye of the World is, and if they did, would be far less eager to find it." Lord Dremenden said. A wind blew through the trees, sending a wave of leaves falling across the covey of horses.

"What is it then?" Rand asked.

Lord Dremenden bore his eyes into Rand and a small smile came onto his face. "Long ago, during the Breaking of the World, a group of female Aes Sedai worked with male Aes Sedai, those who were still sane, to create the Eye of the World. They all died in the effort, but they succeeded. What they created was a cavern, and in that cavern was a pool of silvery liquid. This silvery liquid was _Saidin, _pure and untainted. A male channeller could wield the Eye of the World for there own purposes. Some tried, but the amount of _Saidin _was too great for them and they brunt the ability out of themselves. It was almost…as if those who created it had created it for one person. In my library, I have a copied message, ripped and torn. On it, it says that the Aes Sedai who created the Eye had seen many possible futures for it, but in all of them, the Eye was needed for…" He stopped speaking, scratching his chin.

"Needed for…?" Rand asked, a bubble of dread and excitement flowing into him.

"The message ends their." Lord Dremenden said. "Anyway, a male channeller could use the Eye for his own purposes without the risk of taint. Is that why you seek it?"

Rand shifted in his saddle, almost squirming under the gaze Dremenden was giving him. "I was gentled a long time ago," Rand admitted. "I couldn't channel the Eye even if I sought to. I was told to go there and meet somebody by the name of…"

"Slayer," Dremenden cut in. "Yes, I and Lord Agelmar heard that you were the nephew of Slayer."

"Only by his word alone!" Rand objected strongly, a scowl appearing on his face.

"To find the Eye, you need to seek the Green Man." Lord Dremenden continued.

"The Green Man!" Rand exclaimed in surprise. "Isn't he a myth? The man who makes plants grow with his hands, which creates gardens from rocks and dirt, I didn't think he existed!"

"To find him, you must have a need. Thoughts of glory and fame will not do, there must be a great need. Maybe you seek his wisdom, maybe you wish to gaze upon his gardens before you die. Even then, that is not always enough. I can count using one hand, the number of Borderland folk who have visited the Green Man in the past hundred years."

"Where is the Green Man's garden?"

"Anywhere in the Blight," Dremenden answered. "It has been entered from many places, that I do not know the answer for."

Rand opened his mouth to ask another question, when a high pitched scream echoed in the forest.

"Jania!" Dremenden breathed with his eyes wide with horror. "Armsmen! To her, to Jania!"

As soldiers started to gallop off ahead, blurry figures leapt from the trees. Lances stabbed and impaled them, but more and more of the creatures came from nowhere, wicked scythe-like swords in their hands. Rand started at the sight of one of them. It had to be a Trolloc, a half-human and half-animal creature. Unlike the Myrddraal, the Trollocs needed to power to make them appear frightening. A wicked curved beak was this Trollocs mouth, two horns on his head and hooves for feet. Burning red eyes stared behind a large iron helmet and it raised his sword, bringing it down on Rand.

Rand unsheathed his sword, his hands a blur and metal rang as the two swords clashed. Rand pushed off the other sword and swung it, severing the Trollocs head in a single blow. He twisted on his saddle as something struck him, a large shape pushing him off the horse and onto the ground with a painful grunt. His sword stabbed deep into the Trolloc above him as he fell, and the creature was impaled. Dark blood gushed from the wound, staining Rand's clothes, but he ignored it as he wrapped his mind in the void and pushed the creature off himself, staggering up. Two...four…seven…nine Trollocs leapt at him, their sword swinging. Rand performed Darting the Nets, his sword knocking several blades back as he ducked the rest, before Slicing the Silk and the Headsmen's Axe, followed by Parting the Weaves, left Trollocs dying or dead around him.

"Form ranks!" Lord Dremenden called loudly, his broadsword stained with dark blood. Calvary formed in a circle around the Lord and Lady, lances out. Arrows flied from the archers as Lord Dremenden entered the circle, using his broadsword to kill any Trolloc that came near. Trollocs fell, but so did humans. Rand battled Trollocs alone, his skills with the blade the only thing saving him from death. Anything within the range of his sword fell in a flash of metal, bodies piling up together. He deflected blades with his sword and buckler, his arm aching with the vibrations.

Suddenly a horn blew loudly, and another. Red, gold and white armored men on horses charged into the clearing, their swords up and attacking the hundreds, if not thousands of Trolloc, from the rear. There were guttural cries of pain and animal shrieks as Andorian Queens Guard, led by Captain Tallanvor, battled fearlessly against creatures they had heard from horror tales. As Rand held his sword out, stabbing and slashing anything that came close to him, the Queens Guard joined with the Shienar Lord's armsmen just as arrows flew at the Trollocs from the trees. Rand stared in surprise as suntanned skinned Aiel, their faces donning the black veil, leapt from the trees with spears flying. There were only a few of them, maybe thirty, but Trollocs fell in numbers that the horsemen couldn't match as the Aiel flanked the Trollocs from the east, the Calvary from the west and the Shienar horsemen in the middle of it all.

"For Andor! For Shienar!" Somebody yelled over the fighting. Rand suddenly felt a surge of pain rack his body as something bit into his side, and the void wavered. Rand grasped it, stumbling along the ground as he stared at the arrow implanted into his side, before the void disappeared and the overwhelming wave of pain swept through him, his side aching as he fell unconscious.

* * *

Rand awoke with a groan, his side aching unbearably as he shifted. The ground beneath him moved at a rumbling pace, bumping on something every so often and sending another lance of pain into him. A face appeared above him, Lord Dremenden.

"Lord Rand!" He exclaimed, gesturing for somebody. Another face appeared, a dark haired woman with green eyes, dressed in green silks. Her face was neither young nor old, and the familiar signs of Aes Sedai agelessness were apparent, but only just.

"It has been a long time," The woman said gently, placing her cool hands on his forehead. She closed her eyes, her lips parting and her brow frowned, and suddenly Rand yelped as an icy cold feeling tingled down his head and back, dropping to his feet and springing right up again. He had only been healed once before by an Aes Sedai, Elaida, just after the attack at Caemlyn. He hadn't been awake to feel it though. Suddenly the sensation was gone, as well as the pain from his side.

"What happened…?" Rand began, trailing off as his memory caught up with his body.

"A Trolloc Raid, at least a thousand." Lord Dremenden said grimly, his eyes haunted. "Twenty four are dead, including the Andorians. Not a single Aiel though…"

Rand sat up, glancing around. He sat in a slow moving cart, with sleeping men beside him. Blood stained his shirt but the skin was unbroken and clear, without a single blemish. He shifted his eyes on the woman, something about her seemed familiar. Perhaps it was the hair…

"Do you not remember me?" The Aes Sedai asked lightly.

Rand shook his head as he jumped off the cart, his side in perfect condition. Horses trotted by him, Andorian and Shienarian in the saddles. A large manor house loomed up ahead, thick stone walls surrounded by a small moat. Towers jutted out from the manor, large fires burning brightly. Rand tore his eyes of the impressive house and back to the woman.

"It was a long time ago, in the White Tower. I met you in the gardens and took you…" The woman started.

"Alanna!" Rand suddenly exclaimed.

Alanna nodded, pleased.

"Milord?" An approaching soldier called out, a grizzled and scarred man with a limp. "Horsemen Morigon is awake sir, almost at death. But…you need to hear him."

Lord Dremenden glanced at Alanna briefly.

"His wounds were too deep for my skills in healing," Alanna said, her face suddenly emotionless and calm. "I did ease his pain though,"

Dremenden walked briskly towards another cart. Alanna followed and Rand hesitated, before following as well. When he arrived, he saw Lord Dremenden walking alongside the cart, holding a hand.

"I…tried…to fight them," The wounded man gasped. Rand recoiled at the sight; his face was a mess with one eye gone and several teeth missing. One ear had been torn off, as well as a leg and half an arm. Blood stained the man's clothes, his armour gone, and flies buzzed around if they weren't aware that he wasn't dead yet.

"They…Jania…" The man struggled for breath as Alanna placed a hand on his forehead. He suddenly shivered, a tiny spark of life retuning to his eyes that started to diminish almost instantly.

"She is not dead…Trollocs took her and three others…some wanted to kill us…eat us…but leader said…needed…souls of the blade…Shayol Ghul…taking us to Shayol Ghul…"

The man went limp, the life from his body vanished. Lord Dremenden staggered back, his hand over his eyes.

"No, no, no!" He moaned pitifully. "Better be that she was dead! No, not this!"

"What is it?" Rand asked in surprise. "Isn't this good news? She is alive…we can get her back!"

"NO!" Dremenden screamed loudly. Soldiers twisted on their saddles to watch their Lord sob.

"What is it?" Rand asked loudly, his teeth clenching.

Alanna spoke up. "Souls of the blade…there is a story that tells of how the forgers at Shayol Ghul make the blades of Myrddraal so powerful. The story said that every time a blade is finished, a human is killed with it and their soul is drawn into the sword, in torment and agony, feeling everything the blade inflicts. Myrddraal blades do not last forever, so the forgers need new lives to take. People have gone missing and no body is ever found, no remains or bones. They vanish, never to be seen again. That is said to be the work of the forgers. This is why the Trollocs came this far south. They came here looking for those lives. It makes sense in why the Trollocs hesitated, held back. If they had pressed their advantage, you would dead. But they needed you alive…some greater force, possible a Myrddraal, forced their killing instincts down. What is a few hundred dead Trollocs compared to twenty new blades?"

"Can't we catch them before they reach Shayol Ghul?" Rand asked desperately.

Alanna blinked, a frown marring her beautiful face. "I…" She trailed off. "It could be done, but only in smaller numbers. A party of ten, maybe, as to not attract the attention of the Dark Ones spies. But this search would take us into the Blight, maybe to the slopes of Shayol Ghul itself. Who would volunteer?"

"I would." Rand said boldly. "I have no fear."

"Then you are a fool." Alanna said sharply, but Lord Dremenden looked up, hope in his eyes.

"The Aes Sedai made me this way. They gentled me and took away the part of me that cares if I live or die." Rand said angrily. His eyes flashed as he rounded into Alanna. "Now you criticize me for wanting to save a child?"

Alanna drew herself up, appearing to double in size and stature. Her eyes flashed and power laced her voice. "Do not dare imply that I would complain in somebody saving a child! I was merely saying…"

"You tricks don't scare me!" Rand snarled.

"That's enough!" Lord Dremenden boomed, his voice washing over the anger Rand was feeling. He backed down, ashamed at his irrational behavior and looked up to se that Alanna had returned to normal size, looking chagrined. "This close to the Blight…it can cause anger and rage if you let it. Lord Rand, were you serious about your offer?"

Rand nodded and Dremenden smiled grimly. "Good. You will accompany me then…"

"Lord Dremenden!" Alanna snapped. "Do not be a fool! Wandering into the Blight is idiotic at best, but with your injury you are lucky to be alive. I was not able to heal all of the heart, you need rest!"

"She is my daughter!" Dremenden growled desperately.

"Then give her the best chance you possible can." Alanna said, her voice leaving no room for complaints. She turned to Rand. "I will come with you and my warder as well. That is three…bring no more than seven more."

Rand blinked as she stalked away, her back straight and head high. "That was odd." He muttered. He turned to Dremenden, who he noticed was leaning on the cart. "I need a tracker, supplies and the fastest horses you have."

"It is done." Dremenden said instantly. "I…I will see to it now. I would come, but Alanna Sedai...…get my daughter back and I will give you anything! Land, money, titles…anything!" He turned away, limping slightly to the nearest horsemen to give his messages and orders.

"I see you Al'Thor," A cool voice greeted from behind him. Rand turned, his mind flashing back to the battle as he remembered the Aiel.

"I see you Enaila." Rand replied automatically. The petite redhead scowled at him, her eyes flashing.

"You left us in shame and dishonor!" She spat out. "A _gai'shain _refused by the one who defeated them is the ultimate rebuke!"

"So you came to make me use you as a _gai'shain_?" Rand asked bewilderedly.

Enaila nodded and threw down her spear. She unattached her buckler and dropped it to the ground, reaching to remove the other spears strapped to her body.

"Wait a moment!" Rand broke in, grabbing her wrist. Her eyes burned into him, full to the brim with outrage. "I am leaving soon…"

"Then I shall follow, and regain my honour!" Enaila said heatedly.

"If you are to follow, then pick up the spear and buckler. I am leaving for the Blight, to rescue a child from the Trollocs and shadowspawn. There is much honour in this quest and those who accompany me to carry it out." Rand said a touch cunningly.

Enaila hesitated for a second, her hands resting on the straps for one of her spears.

"If you want to be _gai'shain, _then you will have to stay with Lord Dremenden. He could use another servant…" Rand trailed off, feeling slightly smug. He knew that Aiel considered those who served for their entire lives to be dishonorable and found the concept quite strange.

That did it for Enaila and she sent him a dark look, picking p her weapons.

"That's four…" Rand muttered to himself.

"Five." Came a cold voice, tinged with anger and loathing.

"I see you Aviendha." Rand said, sighing slightly. The girl hated him; there was no question about that.

"It is a folly to attempt this, no Aiel has ever returned from Leafblighters Slope." She said; her reddish-brown hair longer than he remembered. "But…" She continued grudgingly. "There is honour in trying, so I shall come. I came to bring you back to our camps, and I can not do that if you lay dying."

* * *

"So, you are leaving." Captain Tallanvor remarked from his horse an hour later, a freshly groomed steed that snorted impatiently.

"You have heard then?" Rand asked him, watching men scurry about to check horses and harnesses and supplies. Nearby, Aviendha and Enaila spoke with the other Aiel, no doubt explaining what was happening and why they could not follow. She would have bought an entire Aiel War clan if it meant gaining honour, but she understood the need for obscurity.

"I had orders to retrieve you and bring you back to Caemlyn. Lord Gawyn, Lady Elayne, Gareth Bryne and even Queen Morgase were all clear on that." Tallanvor remarked.

"I'm not leaving Tallanvor." Rand said firmly.

"I know. It's strange, isn't it?" Tallanvor mused. "That I find myself drawn to you. I will come with you."

"Why?" Rand asked in astonishment.

"I do not know. I…I just need to." Tallanvor muttered. "Strange…"

Rand watched him wander off while Lord Dremenden limped towards him, with a small man beside him. He had dark hair and one blue eye, the other green.

"This is Huin; he will track the Trollocs for you." Dremenden introduced.

"We are ready then." Rand said, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Everybody, prepare to leave!"


	10. Shienar: To the Blight

The journey was hard, even with one of the best trackers in Shienar. No matter how many days the group traveled for, the Trolloc party always seemed to stay ahead.

Within the group, there were also problems. Tensions ran strong between the Aiel and the Shienarians. The tracker, a small man by the name of Huin Blest, was constantly fingering his knife as he glared at the two Maidens. Aviendha and Enaila made a point to stroke the veils that hang around their necks whenever the man was nearby, spears always in their hands as they regarded the Shienarian with a cold gaze. Similarly, Rand and Alanna, as well as her two warders named Owein and Ihvon, also conflicted.

Rand didn't like Aes Sedai, mostly because they had gentled him and despite what good it had done for him; he wasn't going to go insane or develop the sickness that rotted the body away from the inside, Rand hated the Aes Sedai who made living a struggle to be fought everyday. Also, he had lived in the Royal Palace of Caemlyn for two years and had seen Elaida plot and manipulate and twist men and women into doing what she wanted.

So naturally, Rand showed a dislike towards Alanna and her warders had picked up on it. After three hours from leaving, Ihvon had stayed by Alanna's side with his hand on his sword, while Owein had watched Rand like a hawk. Alanna herself didn't seem to mind or notice, but Aes Sedai were good at hiding what they felt, and she showed a considerable interest in Rand. Despite sullen glares from her warders towards herself and Rand, Alanna stuck close to him, her dark eyes boring into his whenever Rand turned his head. She made him feel wary and uncomfortable.

The Aiel and the Aes Sedai had a strange relationship. Half of the time Aviendha and Enaila would dance naked and sing if Alanna commanded it, the other half the two Maidens would go out of their way to insult and ignore the woman. In fact, the only people the Maidens got on with were themselves and at times, Rand. Aviendha was still cold and curt towards him, her eyes watching him with an unreadable and sometimes dangerous expression. Whenever she noticed that he had noticed her staring, she shook her head and glowered at him until he looked away. Enaila, on the other hand, would sometimes meekly approach Rand as if she were still _gai'shain, _and sometimes throw sharp words and looks towards him. She was still undecided if she was supposed to be _gai'shain_ and if she was losing honour in holding the spear, or if she was to be angry at Rand for making her wear white when she didn't have to, therefore, dishonoring her.

Captain Tallanvor was rather neutral regarding his attitudes. He was friendly with Huin with the two talking like old friends, respectful to Alanna therefore friendly with Owein and Ihvon and wary but courteous towards the Aiel, having never been involved in the Aiel war. He confessed later to Rand that the Maidens made Morgase on a bad day seem like a child.

* * *

"My Lord! Tracks ahead!" Huin called softly through a patch of trees.

Rand almost sighed, having told Huin numerous times that he was not a lord, but placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, drawing it up with a slight hiss as it scraped his scabbard. Aviendha and Enaila were veiled in a matter of seconds with spears in their hands, while Ihvon and Owein notched arrows onto their bows and Tallanvor withdrew his sword. Alanna just stood there regally, her head held proudly as Rand assumed that she embraced the True Source. The Goosebumps pricked on his arms as Huin dashed back into the clearing on foot. A small campfire blazed in the centre and the horses were tied to a tree. There were only six horses, Aviendha and Enaila running on foot instead of riding. Sometimes they were able to race ahead of the horses, but other times they slowed the party down.

"They're old, maybe a week or so." He said excitedly, before gulping at the arrows and swords facing his way.

Rand sighed as he lowered his sword. "What direction do they head in, Huin?" He asked.

"North East, not quite the Blight." Huin answered, scratching behind his ear as he swung himself onto his horse.

"There is a town east," Ihvon suddenly said, his dark hair flowing gently with the wind.

"Fredra," Alanna murmured, smoothing her skirts unconsciously with her hand. "That is the name of the town. I remember it from the maps,"

"If the Trollocs went there, should we not also follow?" Tallanvor asked.

"It will not be pretty." Huin mumbled.

* * *

And it wasn't. An hour later, the group approached the blackened ruins of a small farming village. The long wooden walls that had surrounded the village were smashed and broken, some little more than charcoal ashes. Two large watch towers, looking almost ridiculous for such a small town, were empty and one had a swarm of flies hovering at the top.

"Blood and Ashes!" Tallanvor muttered grimly as the group rode into the town. The horses clops echoed in the silent village, doors open and windows smashed. In the streets, corpses littered the street. The stench was unbelievable, the bodies almost unrecognizable. Some had been torn to parts; others had only bones with teeth marks left in them. Flies, ravens and rats swarmed over them, picking at the dead flesh and the dried blood on the ground. Rand sought the void immediately, and rejected it almost immediately as his senses were heightened. The smell of rotten carrion was enough to make Ihvon be sick, and he leaned to the side of the horses to do so. Normally such an incident would have earned scathing remarks from the Aiel, but Aviendha and Enaila had turned their backs to the carnage, and Enaila was looking very green and pasty as well.

"My Lord? What should we do?" Huin asked warily, a sword breaker held in one hand and a thin throwing knife in the other.

Rand frowned. Huin, Tallanvor and even Alanna watched him, waiting for an answer. Even Aviendha and Enaila, who would have commented on him being a Wetlander Lord, waited for instructions. Nobody wanted to take responsibility here, in this town of death. He looked from one face to the other, his mind trying to find what he should say in the face of such horrible carnage. After a minute of silence, Rand spoke up.

"Search the house for any survivors in pairs. Alanna, could you d-drive away those birds and rats? Aviendha, Enaila, have a quick look in the surrounding area and make sure no shadowspawn are out there. After the search, dig a hole and bury these people." Rand said quietly but firmly. "Alanna, maybe you can help…lift them."

Ihvon and Owein immediately strode away from the bodies, seeking the nearest house. Tallanvor and Huin left quickly as well, while Aviendha and Enaila moved stealthily out of the village, veils still covering their face and white-knuckles clutching spears.

"I have seen the aftermath of a Trolloc raid before, it was not like this." Alanna told Rand tightly as she lifted her hands. Rand didn't see what she did but ravens suddenly squawked and hundreds swarmed into the sky, while rats squeaked in pain and scurried away.

"What was different?" Rand was hesitant to ask.

"The bodies," Alanna said, turning to Rand. Her fiery eyes had a keen shine to them. "Trollocs do not leave half-eaten bodies littering the streets. They were in a rush here; they came for one purpose and left just as quickly. I can say that this raid took less than an hour. What did the Trollocs seek here? I would say that they were looking for more souls, but why kill all of these people?"

Rand had no answer to that.

* * *

It was a solemn group two hours later that stood at the edge of a large pit. The bodies had been placed inside by Alanna and the One Power, and now a mound of dirt hovered above the hole. It suddenly fell and Rand coughed, turning his head away from the dust that enveloped the area. When it subsided, Rand turned to Huin.

"What did you find?" He asked.

The Shienar shrugged. "This town had a population of eighty three, according to the Village Council's count. There was no warning from the Trollocs; they scrambled over the walls by the hundreds. One woman tried to write a message and send it by pigeon, but it was only half-finished."

"We did not bury eighty three bodies, it was closer to fifty." Tallanvor said quietly. There was a look in his eyes, a haunted remembrance, and Rand had the feeling that the Andorian Captain would not forget this day for the rest of his life.

"Maybe the Trollocs ate the rest?" Ihvon suggested with the cold and hard face of the warder back in place more firmly than before.

"No," Alanna said, shaking her head. "They took them."

"For the blades of Myrddraal?" Rand asked. His mind was now wrapped in the void, the horror, disgust and hatred floating outside.

Alanna nodded. "There were no young children's bodies in the pile, no small bones. I say that nobody under the age of sixteen was killed."

"I saw a baby's body." Tallanvor disagreed, quietly and with a pained look on his face.

"A baby is harder work to transport." Alanna said smoothly. Her face didn't twitch at all. "Children are younger, easier to intimidate and carry, and would have fresher and brighter souls than those of adults."

"If this town was here, why did they come south to take Jania?" Huin asked.

"Maybe it was chance. They would not have known that town was there, they were probably scouting when they chanced upon your group. They would not have been expecting such a large fight." Alanna answered.

"Why would the Trollocs leave a host of bodies uneaten?" Rand asked the Aes Sedai. "I though it was in their instinct to eat and kill?"

Alanna met his eyes grimly. "I suspect that there is a greater force pushing these Trollocs. Not a Myrddraal, but something worse. That is the only reason they would have left the town in the state it was in."

"A greater force than a Myrddraal?" Huin wondered out loud. "Surely…not a Forsaken!"

"Do not be a fool," Alanna said sharply, her fiery eyes burning into Huin as he shrank onto himself. "The Forsaken are bound at Shayol Ghul."

"Where we may end up," Tallanvor said grimly.

Alanna stared at him with an Aes Sedai expression that had made kings leap where they were told and Queens curtsy hurriedly, but Tallanvor stared back grimly, quite used to these looks from Elaida.

"A Dreadlord perhaps," Rand offered, but in his heart he knew who it was. "Or Slayer,"

"It could be a Dreadlord, but it would have to be a male one. I have felt no resonance from _saidar _but I will admit that I was not looking for _Saidin. _That is beyond the scope of my abilities. It could also be this Slayer, but I have heard that he is a Darkfriend, an important one as he may be, a Darkfriend could not inspire such fear within Trollocs." Alanna said.

"Perhaps he is more than a Darkfriend." Rand said softly.

"It very well may be. There are other powers not associated with the True Source, they are not as powerful but they could inspire the fear needed to hurry Trollocs." Alanna murmured thoughtfully.

"I see you Rand al'Thor," Enaila murmured as she hurried into the clearing, her face clear of the veil. "There are none of Leafblighters creatures around this village,"

"I saw tracks heading north. There are no towns nearby; it heads straight for the Blight." Huin admitted, giving a slight shudder.

"The Wetlander is right." Aviendha said as she appeared from the shadows of the buildings. She glared at Rand hatefully but she spoke up. "There were many tracks, perhaps two hundred Trollocs. There were also the hooves of a riding beast, just one of them."

"So we follow them?" Tallanvor asked Rand. Huin looked at him expectantly as Alanna regarded him with a calm gaze and slightly upturned lips. Aviendha and Enaila squatted in the dirt, their hands moving rapidly as they made signals to each other. Ihvon and Owein just stood by Alanna, prepared to follow her wherever she went.

"Yes," Rand said. He frowned as he regarded the village. "Somebody…somebody needs to know of this."

'I can set the signal fire," Alanna said as she gestured to one of the Towers. "A patrol would be here in hours. The villagers hadn't had a chance to light the fire before the Trollocs invaded, so I am sure that there would be enough wood."

"Do it." Rand ordered.

Alanna arched an eyebrow, her mouth open and her eyes fiery, before she smiled slightly and closed her mouth. Goosebumps suddenly popped on Rand's arms and he almost shivered as Alanna stood still, before the top of the tower suddenly cackled in flames. The goosebumps disappeared as Alanna sagged on Owein as she was helped to her saddle, her warder glaring at Rand as if it were his fault she was tired.

Rand paid him no attention as he turned to Aviendha and Enaila. "You'll have to ride on the horses if you want to keep up." He began.

Aviendha glared at him angrily. "I will not…"

"Or you will be left behind like a Stone Dog." Rand finished, smiling slightly as Aviendha growled at the implied insult. Enaila looked sullen but she bowed, knuckling her forehead.

"Who do I ride with?" Enaila asked meekly and Rand sighed.

"Tallanvor, if you do not mind." Rand said as the man looked up.

"No…my Lord," Tallanvor said, bowing his head.

"Light, not you as well!" Rand mumbled.

"I hate you Rand al'Thor!" Aviendha suddenly hissed, before she jumped up and onto Rand's saddle, throwing her arms around him.

Rand stiffened but soon relaxed as it became apparent the Aiel was not going to kill him. He wished he knew what he had done to make her so angry towards him and looked to Enaila for help, but the redhead's fingers flashed and Aviendha stiffened behind him.

"Alanna, are you well to ride?" Rand asked the slender Aes Sedai.

"I am well," She replied.

"We should make haste; they are far in front of us." Tallanvor said, Enaila sitting behind him.

"They will be slower than us, and they will not know they are being pursued." Rand encouraged. But he dug in his heels, and eight horses bolted from the decimated village.


	11. The Blight: Towards the Mountains

The moon shone brightly overhead and the stars twinkled, a serene beauty that did not reflect that of the land below. Jania shivered as she gazed onto the stars, prayers and wishes long past her tongue. Next to her, a young boy with dark hair and teary brown eyes shook with repressed sobs. Wide-eyed children, as young as four and as old as sixteen, looked blankly at the stars and moon, or at their captors. Approximately three hundred Trollocs lay on the ground, snoring peacefully. One of them, a petite brute with long whiskers and cat ears, flicked its tail and purred. Despite that monsters cute appearance, Jania had watched it tear apart one of its own kin a few hours ago for dinner, blood matting the blonde fur. They were all monsters.

"Why haven't they killed us?" A teenage boy whispered to a girl with his looks, his sister most likely.

The older girl gave a shudder as she stared at the Trollocs. "I don't know," She answered

Jania remembered when the Trollocs had attacked the town where the children had been taken from. She had been held back as horns rang and arrows flew, striking the men in the towers and on the walls in the night.

* * *

A man stood behind her, a Darkfriend with a strong hand on her shoulder. He was the same man who now led these Trollocs through the Blight.

"Look at them girl," He said as the Trollocs sprinted towards the walls, a handful falling to a volley of arrows as the beasts jumped onto the walls. "The armies of the Great Lord still fight and kill in his name, even when he is trapped. Soon though, the Great Lord of the Dark will be free, and the world will bow to him!"

Jania shivered under his grip but still having the courage to reply. "The Dark One is bound at Shayol Ghul at the moment of creation…" She began the recital that everybody knew, no matter what nation they came from.

The man laughed harshly, and something deep within the voice of the man rang with evil. "The seals are weakening little girl. Soon, it will be soon when the Great Lord is free."

"The Dragon Reborn will stop him then," Jania replied in a trembling voice.

The man stopped laughing and his grip tightened. "The prophecies say that he shall fight on the slopes of Shayol Ghul, and his blood will run on the stones. It does not say that he will win!"

Jania cried out in pain as the man pushed her to the ground, bumping painfully against rocks.

"Fools!" The man muttered as he stared towards the town. "Nobody can help them."

Jania followed his gaze at one of the largest watch towers, where two men could be faintly seen scrambling around for something as Trollocs poured into their town. The man behind Jania closed his eyes and smiled blissfully.

"I may not be able to channel girl," He said as he lifted an arm and pointed it straight at the tower. "But the Great Lord has granted me abilities for beyond mere humans!"

Something flickered at the tower, a darkness of pure ebony that shimmered and pulsed as it descended from the skies. Two bone chilling screams overcame the sounds of fighting and screams, screams of absolute agony and misery. The black fog pulsed and squirmed, almost as if it was alive, and the man breathed in deeply and sighed. The fog disappeared, leaving behind a dark mass of blood that even Jania could see from beyond the walls.

"Do you see now, little girl?" The man crowed. His dark haired swayed with the wind, his blue eyes cold and burning with rage and anger, his face all hard planes and angles. "Do you see the power of the Great Lord?"

* * *

Jania shook her head, casting those memories from her mind. She looked past the Trollocs to where a single white tent was pitched up. A black stallion with thick leg muscles and a rabid look in his eyes grazed on the twisted and deformed plants on the path, eating contently what others would find poison and toxic. The Trollocs could be beaten and killed by normal men, but the Darkfriend would not die easily. The others feared the beasts, but she feared the man more than anything in her life. Vainly, she wished yet again on a shooting star that somebody would come and save her…Her father, Lord Agelmar, Lord Rand, anybody! But she knew in her heart that she was doomed.

"It has been two months since Captain Tallanvor set out," Gareth Byrne said to Elayne. He, Elayne and Gawyn sat in a small room inside the palace, a room guaranteed for privacy. "Since then, I have received two reports, just days apart. One stated that Tallanvor had met with Rand in Fal Dara, in Shienar. The other was sent two days afterwards, saying that the soldiers had encountered and fought Trollocs alongside with Shienarians and Aiel, and that al'Thor and Tallanvor had gone off somewhere together to rescue somebody, a Lord Dremenden's daughter, from Trollocs."

* * *

Elayne kept a calm façade but irritation and hurt slumbered in her mind. Rand al'Thor was the most foolish person she had ever met! Fighting Trollocs, dragging Captain Tallanvor away from his duties, getting mixed up in Light knows what! "I see," She said coldly. "Tallanvor has forgotten his oaths to obey then, has he? He has not only let Rand get away, but joined him."

Gareth Byrne recognized the tone of her voice and raised an eyebrow. "It seems that way, My Lady." He said wryly.

Elayne almost growled like a dog as she smoothed her skirts absently. Next to her, Gawyn met Gareth's eyes and smiled understandably.

"It seems like a noble quest, to rescue a Lord's daughters from the clutches of Shadowspawn." He said, not looking at Elayne but rather Gareth.

Gareth smiled slightly, ignoring Elayne's bristle. "It is much like the old stories of the hero saving the girl from evil." He agreed.

"I wonder…does Rand love this girl?" Gawyn asked.

"Love is not an issue here!" Elayne said sharply. "Only duty! Al'Thor has a duty to perform and he has fled! I will take him back and he will carry on with his duty!"

"I think both duty and love is the issue here Elayne," Gawyn retorted quickly. "I would like to know why both you and Gareth are so keen on finding a boy who has barely reached adulthood! And do not give me the excuse of duty!"

Elayne glared at her brother, her cheeks a shiny scarlet, while Gareth sat stonily in his seat.

"Do you have an answer Gareth?" Gawyn asked quietly, after a few moments had passed by silently.

"You are not First-Price yet, Lord Gawyn." Gareth said coldly as he stood. "I do not have to obey your orders."

"I too, would like to know." Elayne declared crisply as she squared her shoulders.

Gareth stood still, his shoulders set and his back straight. "I have received information, just recently, that suggests that Rand al'Thor may be 12th in line for the Throne of Andor. He has royal blood in his veins, therefore, needs our protection."

He stalked from the room, leaving a surprised and startled Gawyn and a thoughtful Elayne.

* * *

"Do not touch the plants at all," Alanna said for the seventh time.

Rand ignored her, his sword out as he sliced his way into the thick and dense foliage. The plants in the Blight were sickly and colours of yellow and brown. A thick and sweet smell of organic decay tainted the air and the sweet smells from purple and pink flowers were in reality, a deadly poison that killed once touched with bare skin. This is why Rand wore a thick jumper made of wool, and leather gloves. Sweat trickled down his face and back as he grunted with effort, slicing through another twisty vine. Next to him, Tallanvor wore his thick armour and his face was red with effort as he cut into the plants with his own sword. Ihvon and Owein stood next to Alanna, cutting any plant that came close to her, while Huin, Aviendha and Enaila stood at the back, their spears and short daggers proving to be ineffective.

"That is a fine weapon, Lord Al'Thor." Alanna said, some minutes later.

Rand gave her a cold look as he swung his sword on his shoulder, the blunt end resting against his jumper. "You could help us with the One Power." He muttered.

"If I draw _saidar _more than I have to, it will attract attention." Alanna reprimanded Rand, who grunted in acknowledgment.

As he turned back to the task in hand, Alanna placed a slender hand on the hilt of his sword, her fingers encircling his.

"Did you know that this blade was made with the One Power?" She asked, a touch huskily, her fiery eyes boring into his. "Most Heron-mark blades were. This alloy of metal was created in the Age of Legends, where Male and Female Aes Sedai worked side-by-side. When the War of Power occurred, weapons such as these were created. When it was over and the world had been broken, women looked at the bodies of their sons and husbands and vowed to never again use the One Power to make a weapon. The swords and spears that still remained were treasured and only given to the best. This blade will never need sharpening, it will never break and it will never rust."

"Let go of my hand." Rand ordered softly, as if Alanna had not spoken.

Alanna withdrew her hand and tilted her head, observing Rand as if he were an animal at the market. "You would make a find Warder." She said.

Rand stiffened and backed away from her, his eyes wide with shock, surprise and fear.

Alanna noticed his expression and laughed softly. "Taking a Warder against his will is against custom and II have not fallen beyond that. Still, I will admit that I am intrigued. I do not believe that a gentled man has ever been made warder before. It would be interesting, to say at the least."

"I'll never accept Alanna." Rand declared crisply. "Now, if you want a path, then let me go back to work."

He walked away from the woman, still feeling her eyes on the back of his head.

* * *

By the time night had fallen, the party had reached the Mountains of Dhoom; the large mountain range that separated the rest of the world from the Blasted Lands was almost impossible to cross. At the flickering campfire, Huin poured over a large map that lay on the ground. Rocks held down the paper, bigger and wider than Rand. Rand, Tallanvor, Alanna and Huin crowded around it, while Owein and Ihvon sat at watch. Aviendha and Enaila had turned their backs to the parchment, the Aiel finding it strangely offensive.

"A child may need a drawing to the nearest water, but capable warriors should be able to find water without help." Aviendha had sniffed, giving Rand's sword a customary look of disgust.

"Is that why Enaila travels with you, to draw maps for you?" Rand said wryly and turned away, pleased at the outraged look that passed on Aviendha's face and the snort of amusement from Enaila. He felt that he was beginning to understand some parts of Aiel humor.

"This is the known paths into the Blight that Shienar and the Borderlands have found and marked. Normally, this would be used to stop those coming out of the Mountains, but we could use this to get in." Huin said grimly.

"This is the path that the Trollocs are taking," Alanna said, tracing a thick path on the mountains. "They will reach Shayol Ghul within a week."

"What path should we follow then?" Tallanvor asked Huin, who frowned and studied the map intently.

"This one." He said, gesturing to a small line that went straight through the mountains. "It is rough…see the dotted triangles? But if we make haste, we can meet the Trollocs at this point," Here Huin pointed past the mountains, closer to Shayol Ghul. "And ambush them from the ridge, that's the squares Tallanvor."

Tallanvor shot him a look of exasperation. "It is only a few hours from Shayol Ghul. If we attack the Trollocs there, won't we draw attention?" He asked.

"We will need to attack and flee fast." Alanna murmured. Her dark eyes seemed to be watching Rand whenever he looked her way and he almost shivered.

"It sounds like the best plan we have got." He declared. "Unless, you have discovered the secret of Traveling when we were not looking Alanna?"

Alanna's face grew cold. "It does seem like a reasonable plan, My Lord" She said coldly, giving Rand a look that would freeze water and a flash of amusement leapt into her eyes as Rand sighed softly. Everybody had taken to calling him Lord, and he did not like it.

"Then we should rest." Huin said. "By My Lords permission, of course,"

"We all need rest." Rand muttered as he stood up. "We will need it."


	12. The Blight: The First Death

The rocky slopes of the Mountains of Dhoom were extremely dangerous and difficult to cross. Unseen geysers of hot pressurized gas hid themselves in the crater-filled land, threatening a painful and agonizing ending to any unwary traveler's life. Trees, twisted with the colours of sickly yellow and brown, grew in these mountains, with thorns that shot out like arrows at the slightest touch and blossoms of deadly poison. Small rodents with gleaming red eyes hissed like snakes and spat a black oily substance at their enemies, and large cat-like creatures with four eyes and paws that could flatten a tree roamed the caves, making shelter almost impossible.

* * *

"I think that we would dead without you, Alanna Sedai," Huin grunted as one of the large cat-like creatures lay dying on the ground, a messy and ragged hole in its stomach pumping blood. If Rand didn't know better, he would have said that Alanna preened under the praise. When the creature had dropped from one of the large trees, Alanna had merely raised a hand and goosebumps had appeared on Rand's arm, probably from the bolt of lightning that had erupted from Alanna's palm and had struck down the creatures during mid-roar.

"These are terrible lands," Tallanvor muttered as he stepped around the corpse. A rocky trail lay ahead of them, surrounded by gigantic cliffs. Trees sometimes grew from these cliffs, but mostly it was dead and barren. Even the Aiel Waste had more life than these mountains.

Rand just grunted in acknowledgement as he kicked the dead creature from the path, his sword resting on his shoulders. Aviendha and Enaila were behind him, veils donned at all times and spears in their hands. They moved with a feline's grace, moving more like a feline than the dead creature had. Both of them had been very quiet once the group had entered the mountains, not even making cold comments to Huin. Though it would take a miracle from the Creator himself to stop Aviendha hating him, she still threw him cold and flat looks and stared at his face whenever she though he wasn't looking.

"Where does this path lead?" Rand asked Huin, probably for the third time in an hour.

Huin replied patiently, the small man sweating heavily in the bright sun. "We follow this path for another league or so, then we cross a rocky plains. If we are lucky, My Lord, we can reach a small river by nightfall, and I am sure that Alanna Sedai could use the One Power to make it drinkable."

"Purifying water is not hard," Alanna admitted, brushing down her skirts.

"This is the hardest part of the journey, my lord. After we cross the small river, it is a day's climb downwards and we have crossed the mountains. The Blight will be dead and cold, and there will be plenty of rocks to hide and make shelter behind. If we move quickly Lord Rand, we can ambush the Trollocs at a ridge, just before Shayol Ghul itself." Huin said.

Rand nodded, relieved that there was some plan to follow.

"After we have killed the Trollocs, we will need to move quickly, with two dozen children or so. If we can make it to these mountains, we can lose the Trollocs or ambush them," Huin finished, mopping his sweaty brow as he glanced up at the sun. "Why is it that you never sweat Alanna?"

"I do not let the heat bother me. It is a trick of the mind, if you wish I will try you teaches it to you." Alanna answered amusedly.

Huin brightened visibly. "That would be good," He admitted. "The heat will only get worse."

Tallanvor stifled a small groan. His armour made him feel as if he were being roasted.

"Alanna, I think that we should be wary." Owein murmured to his Aes Sedai. He was a small stocky man with a grey beard, but he moved with the dangerous grace of all Warders. "That creature may have had companions and I think…ARGH!"

There was a flash and a blur as Owein screamed. A large creature, twice the size of the one before, dropped onto him. It opened its mouth as a dozen more of its kin dropped from the large cliffs, surrounding the group.

"OWEIN!" Alanna screamed desperately, a frantic look in her fiery eyes as she raised her arms. Owein gave a twitch, just as the creature raised its paw and stamped downwards. Rand flinched automatically, just as two spears flew through the air and struck the creature in the chest. Moments later, a head-sized fireball was hurled by Alanna and it hit the creature, exploding in a ball of searing flames. The creature was blown back, charred and twisted, as Alanna whirled around, pure fury and agony on her face.

"Look out!" Tallanvor cried out to Rand, lifting his own sword as a creature leapt at him.

Rand turned his head, and just for a second he saw the drooling fangs of one of the creatures. He wrapped his mind in the void as he lifted his sword off his shoulders with one hand, sidestepping to the left and bringing it down on the creature's neck like a Headsman with an axe. The power-wrought blade sliced through skin and bone, and the severed head bounced to the ground as the body collapsed limply. Rand felt goosebumps burst out from his arms and back and he whirled around, sword flicking and flashing in blurred motions as he sliced his way past another creature. Whirlwind on the Mountain cleanly sliced away a large muscle-bound paw, while Wind Blows Over the Wall ended another creature's life. Rand fought for his life, flowing through the motions desperately as claws and teeth tried to end him. He received a painful gash on his back and he returned the favour, his sword cutting into flesh. Suddenly light flashed in the clearing and lightning lanced from the cloudless sky, once, twice, six and more times. Rand had to cover his eyes to hide them from the intense and painful flashes, and the ground rocked and rumbled and roared. A scorching heat blew through the air and the smell of ozone filled his nostrils. Suddenly, it was all silent and Rand opened his eyes quickly, his bloody sword being held no less tightly.

Alanna stood in the middle of carnage. Creatures lay dead, blackened fur and large burns covered their bodies. Some of the grey rocks had been scorched black, while others had melted with some fusing together in the heat and some still as liquid, red-hot and gooey. Owein lay on the ground, his body barely recognizable. Half of his torso had been squashed, but his head was intact and his eyes were closed peacefully, the stern and stony melting away to reveal the face of a kindly looking man, a man who would have been better suited as somebody's grandfather.

Aviendha and Enaila prowled the area, barely glancing at the dead bodies. Their veils were draped over their faces and they both held two spears, watching everything like a hawk. Tallanvor had a large scratch on his face, three straight lines from eye to jaw, and his sword was being held in one hand as he held the other arm limply, blood dripping from his fingers. Huin held a small sword, but appeared to be relatively unharmed, while Ihvon, Alanna's second Warder, limped badly on his left leg. Alanna herself stood as still as a statue, her face a picture of sadness as she stared at the body of Owein. Ihvon appeared next to her, murmuring words of comfort as he placed an arm around her and led her away from her dead Warder.

"I…He…." Alanna said; her voice small and meek. Her dark eyes once fiery were now bright and moist; a few tears sliding down her cheek. She shook herself visibly and placed a hand on Ihvon's forehead. He gave a small yelp, almost jumping up, as she channeled into him. Rand could only assume she was healing him as he turned away from them as Tallanvor walked up.

"Owein is dead then," Tallanvor said slowly. He shook his head sadly.

Rand made a noise of sympathy as he rubbed his arms absently. He hadn't liked Owein but he wouldn't have wished death for the warder.

"I wonder if Alanna will be alright." Tallanvor murmured as he observed Ihvon, now healed of his leg wound, hug the now crying Aes Sedai. "I have heard things about the bond between Warder and Aes Sedai. Just the bare facts, Lady Elayne had been interested and had asked Elaida when I was on duty. Elaida had said that the Warder bond lets the Aes Sedai know where her Warder is, how hurt he is or if he is in pain. If what I heard was correct, then Alanna would have felt Owein die and it would have been like feeling a part of her die."

Rand and Tallanvor both fell silent as Alanna walked up, her eyes red and weepy. Ihvon wouldn't part more than an inch from her side as she placed a cool hand on both Tallanvor and Rand's head and closed her eyes. Tallanvor yelped like a child, jumping up and down as he rubbed his arms all across his body. Rand suppressed the yelp but he couldn't help but shudder as an icy cold feeling drenched him from head and toe, colder than anything he had felt before. Abruptly, it was gone and Alanna sagged onto Ihvon.

"She has fatigued herself and drew more _Saidar _than she should have." Ihvon told Rand quietly, the animosity that usually coloured his voice gone. "She needs rest."

"Huin?" Rand called without taking his eyes of Alanna, who stared at him dazedly.

"My Lord?" Huin said as he approached his sword still in hand.

"Are there any places to rest from here?" Rand asked.

Huin shook his head regretfully. "There are none My Lord. We could either go back six hours, to the caves we stayed in last night, or continue for another two hours to reach the river."

"Can you look after her for another two hours?" Rand asked Ihvon, who stared at him stonily. "Of course you could," Rand muttered.

"I see you, Rand al'Thor." Aviendha said coolly as she and Enaila suddenly appeared from the rocks, their clothing of brown and grey blending in to the background. "We saw no signs of creatures up the path."

"I better…" Huin started.

"Do you doubt my word?" Aviendha demanded of Huin, who shook his head quickly as he eyed the spear she was holding

"We best be leaving quickly then, if we wish to get to this…river…quickly." Enaila said, stumbling over the word river. As she lived in a desert, no words for large bodies of water existed in anything but stories.

* * *

The path ahead was indeed clear, and even as they passed the point where Aviendha and Enaila had tracked, no creatures attacked them. Soon, the group was past the mountain trail and had entered the rocky plains that Huin had spoken of. Alanna stayed silent during the journey across the plains, leaning onto Ihvon as he used his strong arms to lift her across craters and holes. Nobody spoke at all, everybody was silent from the time the sun was up till the time when it began to sink. As the faint burbling of a river could be heard. Huin smiled in relief.

"You see, My Lord!" He said proudly. "There it is!" He pointed to a small river, the water murky and dark. A small clearing lay close to it, an alcove carved into the cliffs of stone. It had obviously been used before by humans, probably the same ones who had mapped this trail.

"Very well done, Huin. You have done well." Rand praised the small man, whose cheeks darkened with a blush.

"We are to rest here then?" Ihvon asked Rand, holding Alanna close to him. Rand suspected that there was something between the two of them, but firmly reminded himself that it was not his business.

"That's right." Rand confirmed and Ihvon gently led Alanna into the alcove.

* * *

The group settled down as Huin started a small fire. Alanna didn't talk at all and she only moved when the food was handed out, the stored salted meat, and when she cleaned the water. During the night, Rand shifted uncomfortably as a low weeping could be heard from the clearing. The first of their party had died, and suddenly the dangers seemed more real than ever before. 


	13. The Blight: Warders and onto the Plains

The one day journey down the Mountains of Dhoom was quiet and saddened. Rand could tell that everybody, save Aviendha and Enaila and himself, had suddenly felt the reality of their situation hit them. Light, they were in the Blight! They were marching to the very slopes of Shayol Ghul itself, and for what? He could tell that Ihvon, Alanna's only other warder, was reluctant about their quest. To him, Jania and the others were already dead and this pursuit was foolish. But Huin, as a man of Lord Dremenden, and Tallanvor, as a noble Queens Guard, seemed only more determined to continue. Rand himself thought he was living out one of the old stories Gleemen told. Marching off to face impossible numbers to rescue a Lord's daughter…it sounded like a quest that Artur Hawkwing would take up, not Rand al'Thor. Then again, Artur Hawkwing would have killed himself rather than work with an Aes Sedai. Rand took a second to flick his eyes towards Alanna, at her downcast and sluggish form.

Alanna had changed drastically from the day before. Her dark eyes that had once been fiery with temper and life were dull and saddened. Her posture that had once been straight and commanding, expecting everybody to do things her own way, was bent and shrunken. Her tongue, which would have made Rand wince whenever he didn't do what said, and that was quite often, was silent and clammed. Indeed, the only interaction Alanna had with anybody else was when she would use the One Power to heal way cuts and scraps and to drive away fatigue so they could move faster.

Aviendha and Enaila wore their veils permanently, draped across their faces at all times. They both gripped spears tightly within their hands, while Enaila strapped a small horn-shaped bow to her back and a full quiver of arrows by her side. They seemed unconcerned about the death of Owein, to all Aiel, life was a dream that everybody woke up from eventually. They did not fear death, but instead were wary of when it would come. Rand himself was also unconcerned, but he never really cared about his own life from the start. The gap in his mind, the rift that separated him from _Saidin_, was the strongest he had ever felt it. Over time, it just continued getting stronger and stronger, a little piece of him torn out and gone. Sometimes, Rand would imagine death would be the ultimate relief from this hollow sensation, but would shake his head determinedly. He wasn't going to take his own life…yet.

* * *

"Look out!" Somebody shouted and something slammed into him roughly, sending him tumbling painfully from hs thoughts and down the rocky path. He landed on the ground roughly, with sharp rocks digging into him and something soft and warm on top of him. Opening his eyes, he stared into the blue-green eyes of Aviendha, who looked like a rabbit caught in a trap. Her eyes were open wide and her mouth parted in shock as she stared at him limply. Suddenly, her cheeks suffused with warmth and she stiffly stood up, her eyes cold and angry.

"You are a fool, Rand al'Thor." She said coldly, before turning around and stalking away like an angry cat.  
Rand gingerly felt his arm, grimacing as pain blossomed through it and blood stained his coat. He threw off the red noble coat to inspect his wound, ignoring the flares of pain as he stared at the white of the bone as it protruded from his broken skin. Alanna could heal this easily, but first he had to move the bone back into his arm.

"What happened?" He asked Tallanvor as the rest of the group rushed down the mountain.

Tallanvor looked at him oddly, examining him with a wariness and concern that Rand hadn't seen before. "You were walking near the edge of a rift. A second later and you would have fallen to your death."

Rand's eyes widened in shock. "I-I hadn't noticed." He stammered out, and a sparkle of fear tingled throughout him. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"You were foolish." Enaila said coolly, the redhead staring at him with a bland look on her face. "A child would have been more cautious than you were."

"I was thinking of something, that's all." Rand protested.

"What were you thinking of that almost made you step off a cliff, my Lord?" Huin asked.

"Shayol Ghul." Rand said sharply, and Huin flinched as if he had been struck. "I was thinking of what we should do if the Trollocs make it to Shayol Ghul."

Huin shifted uneasily on his feet, his eyes dark with worry and fear. "It is little wonder why you were not paying attention then, My Lord." He muttered.

"Continue on. I will heal him," Alanna commanded, the first words she had spoken all day.

Huin bowed and Tallanvor inclined his head as they continued down the path. Enaila stared at Rand, an odd expression on her face as she left, while Aviendha and Ihvon wore identical looks of fury. Alanna was left alone with Rand, and she inspected the wound critically.

"I recognized the look in your eyes." Alanna suddenly said, not meeting Rand's eyes. "It is the same feeling that I have felt since yesterday, when…O-Owein died. You were wondering why you should continue to struggle to live."

Rand said nothing as Alanna moved her slender fingers over the bone. Pain surged along his arm, but he ignored it like he ignored the flies and the heat. Suddenly there was a cracking sound as Alanna pushed the bone back into his arm and Rand let out a low hiss as she stepped back to inspect her work.

"Better. Now I can heal you." She murmured. She placed a hand on his forehead, and suddenly Rand was freezing and cold, ice rushing though his veins. He almost leapt from his skin, shivering madly as his teeth chattered. It was over as soon as it started and he rubbed his arms to dispel the goosebumps that were there as Alanna regarded him. Suddenly, she giggled…_giggled…_and put a hand to her mouth, her eyes shining with amusement.

"I never get tired of seeing the reaction people have to Healing." She told Rand, still laughing slightly.

"Maybe you should do it to yourself and see how it feels." Rand muttered darkly as he inspected his perfectly healthy and unbroken arm.

"Aes Sedai cannot heal themselves with their own powers; they need another Sister to do it for them." Alanna said as her laughter was fading. She examined Rand critically, her dark eyes boring into his until he dropped them hastily. "I know what you are feeling. I could tell it this morning, it was what I am feeling. A piece of me is dead, with Owein. I will never regain that piece of myself, it is gone. But I will grieve and heal and eventually, it will be numb. But it is not the same for you. I can see it as the journey continues. You are losing your fight against death, your body and mind is struggling less and less to live. You don't even feel things as you used to. The pain of that broken arm would have made any Warder cry out in pain, maybe even fall unconscious. But you just shivered and gave a single hiss of pain."

Rand shifted on his feet, refusing to meet the Aes Sedai's eyes. "You can't heal this Alanna." He said tiredly.

"I could not." Alanna agreed. "Maybe the Yellows could, they would love to get their hands on a gentled man but most leave the tower as soon as they are gentled."

"So why are we talking about it?" Rand asked, sudden anger rushing into him. He lifted his head, glaring at Alanna. "I know what I am. I am a gentled man, doomed to lose the will to live and die."

"You are a man, aren't you?" Alanna murmured as she moved a slender hand across Rand's hair, smoothing it back. "Most people your age are boys, but you are a man. I know men twice your age who less mature than you are. Rand, I have been thinking of a solution to both our problems. I am sorry for this, you will not like me afterwards but I will not allow you to die. Perhaps…you have a destiny Rand; that is all I know. And this may be the only way to see you live on."

Alanna's hand, which had been smoothing Rand's hair back, suddenly felt warm. Heat rushed into Rand, probing and searching, before a furnace of searing warmth engulfed him. He was standing in the middle of it all, unhindered by the flames and alone, heat rushing into and through him. Suddenly he was aware of Alanna, her sadness and faint fatigue. She moved her hand away and he staggered back, but he could still feel Alanna. He could tell that she had a small scrape on her leg, and that she was feeling tense and worried as she regarded him with fiery eyes, her posture anxious.

"What did you do?" Rand bellowed angrily, taking a step forward. Alanna flinched as she shrank back, suddenly as meek as she had ever been.

"I bonded you as my warder." She answered quietly.

Fury bubbled in him and she flinched as she took a step backwards. Rand did nothing except turn around and stride down the path angrily, his step quick as he sought to catch up to the group. After minutes went by, he lost track of time. The anger that coursed in his veins was still burning brightly and he spat to the side as he jumped over rocks. He didn't realize he was muttering under his breath until he entered a large cavern at the end of the path.

"Stupid…Blood and Ashes…Light burn her….Aes Sedai witch!" He trailed off as his voice echoed loudly in the cavern,

Aviendha and Enaila were keeping a watch while the rest of the group had set up a campfire. All of them look startled and Aviendha opened her mouth, before she closed it as Rand glared at her. Something on his face must have made her nervous because uncertainty and wariness flickered in her eyes as he stalked past her, kicking at the ground angrily.

"Lord Rand?" Huin asked nervously.

"What?" Rand spat out, spinning his head to face Huin, who shrank beneath his powerful gaze.

"What happened?" Ihvon asked roughly as he stood. "Where's Alanna?"

"Who cares?" Rand growled, and the eyes of the Warder darkened.

"I do!" He said warningly, his stony face etched with anger.

"Back up there somewhere then. If you find her, tell her that if she comes inside this cavern, I'll…I'll kill her!" Rand snarled to the slender warder. There was the sound of metal sliding smoothly and Rand jumped back, his own sword flying from is scabbard. Blades clashed in a flurry of steel, pushing against each other as Ihvon stared into Rand's eyes in fury. His eyes were cold and dark, showing his willingness to kill Rand to protect Alanna.

"Lower your swords!" Somebody commanded loudly. Rand didn't need to turn around to see Alanna standing there, he could feel her. She was nervous, angry and scared at the same time.

Ihvon hesitated, flicking his eyes past Rand. Rand didn't move an inch as he felt Alanna move closer.

"Drop the swords, now!" Alanna said, in a compelling tone. Ihvon immediately let go of his sword, while Rand loosened his grip. Something in her voice demanded to be obeyed, demanded respect, and for a moment, Rand was willing to succumb to it. Alanna was his Aes Sedai and he was her Warder, it was only natural…the stubbornness in Rand fought back with vigor, his fury and anger sliding between his mind and the command. Something snapped inside of him and he heard Alanna's strangled gasp as she staggered back, one hand placed to her head and one hand held in front of her as if to ward him away.

"How dare you!" Rand yelled in fury, whirling around with his sword slicing through the air. Alanna flicked her hand, and Rand could sense the power that she channeled, could know it was being used but he couldn't feel it. Suddenly Rand felt something snare him by the arms and hurl him backwards. He hit the stone wall, pinned two meters above the ground while his sword clattered uselessly against the ground.

"Calm down Rand." Alanna said in a soothing voice

"What's going on? Let him go!" Tallanvor demanded as he stood up. Ihvon turned to face him, his hand hovering over his sword hilt.

Tallanvor noticed and tensed up, squaring his shoulders. From the fire, Huin watched anxiously, biting his lip in worry while Aviendha strode forward, her spear raised while Enaila nocked an arrow onto her bow.

"Lord Rand is upset with me." Alanna said.

Rand snorted loudly, anger showing on his face. "Undo it!" he snarled.

"It can't be undone." Alanna said. "And you know I speak the truth."

"Why?" Rand asked calmly, but his eyes still glinted and he looked as if he were in command, even though he was pinned down and helpless.

"Because you needed it and I needed it." Alanna declared.

"What is she talking about?" Tallanvor demanded.

"She bonded me as her Warder." Rand told the Andorran.

Even Ihvon looked incredulous and Alanna smoothed her skirts down with her hands, seemingly unruffled by the attention she was now receiving. Only Rand could feel the nervousness and fear that Alanna truly felt. Light, he wished he couldn't! How dare she! How dare she! His body had been destroyed by the Aes Sedai, stripped off its will to live. Now his mind, his privacy, was tied to an Aes Sedai!

Alanna flinched suddenly, and Rand thought that she must be feeling his hatred. Good.

"Can't you feel it though?" Alanna asked Rand, who was unable to move. "Even your anger, you hatred of me, can't you feel the depth of it? I've healed what I could have of your mind, and in turn you've healed me from Oweins death. You can feel again Rand, you can laugh and cry and feel! You can live!"

Rand said nothing, but his anger ebbed away as he took in what she was saying. It was true. His senses seemed sharper, his emotions were stronger. And the constant weariness and fatigue seemed to be gone, the struggle that he had put up to stay alive had died down.

"You could have asked! You could have explained it to me!" Rand said angrily, but the heat in his voice was gone.

"I didn't know it would work." Alanna admitted. "I didn't know the effects of a Warder bond on a gentled man; it has never been done before."

"Let me down." Rand said after a few seconds of silence.

Alanna obeyed, and again Rand could feel as she embraced _Saidar _and gently unraveled the flows of air that hung him on the wall. He dropped to the ground as the forces that held him there disappeared and stood up.

"Peace Tallanvor," Rand said, placing an arm on the tense man's arm. "It's not your fight."

Tallanvor slowly relaxed, his hands moving from his sheathed sword. Huin seemed to sigh in relief as the tension that had filled the air was gone. Ihvon dropped to his Warders side, looking disgruntled-probably at the thought of Rand being a Warder to his Aes Sedai. Aviendha lowered her spear slowly, while Enaila dropped her bow.

"We will talk about his." Rand said to Alanna, his voice a certain promise.

"We will." Alanna agreed. "But later, when the time is right."

"We should eat quickly, and continue moving. We've passed the mountains, now we need to make our way to this ridge." Rand said.

"My Lord, our food is prepared." Huin said, bowing his head as he presented flatbread, a thin wafer-like traveling food.

"It smells delicious." Rand said wryly as he took the flavorless bread.

Huin chuckled as he handed out the food to the others.

* * *

The Blight north of the mountains was a lot different from the south. There were few plants that grew in the tainted land and large rocks and boulders littered the deserted and dead plains. Up ahead, hills loomed in the distance, their destination. Everybody moved quietly and quickly, with no stops for rest or food. Alanna would drive the fatigue away when it was needed, but Rand could sense how tired she was. As the sun sank in the west, Rand stopped next to scattering of rocks.

"We rest here. No fires and no talking." Rand said. "Enaila, you're on first watch. Wake me in three hours, I'll take over."

The redheaded Aiel nodded, taking the bow from her back and nocking an arrow. She crouched on her heels, her veil lowered and stance wary and still as the rest of the group made their bedrolls. Only Aviendha settled on sleeping on the ground without anything and lay down with her spear next to her, facing Rand in the quickening darkness. For a moment, her eyes met his and Rand suddenly noticed her beauty. She was his age and before, Rand had never seen how pretty she really was. The fuzzy images Rand had in his head of everybody he had ever met contrasted with the clearness he was seeing now. Alanna had done this to him, she had healed him. Suddenly Rand noticed he was staring at Alanna, and she was staring back, her eyes absorbed into his. He blushed, blood rushing to his cheeks as he looked away. He didn't see Aviendha also blush and mutter something to herself angrily. Alanna had healed him alright, but at what cost? Even now, he could feel her emotions and location. She was very tired, and it hadn't taken her long to fall asleep. Light, he was tied to an Aes Sedai! He fell asleep to strange dreams with many people, Aviendha, Elayne and even Min appearing more often than not.


	14. Shayol Ghul: Rescue, Death and Gardens

**A/N: Furious George- Why is Rand 12th in line for the throne? I don't know, I got it from the Wheel of Time: Lord of Chaos. I didn't really understand how it all worked, I just copied it from the book.

* * *

**

"Blood and Ashes!" Huin breathed as he stared at the enormous sight in front of him. The trackers hands were gripped tightly around his sword, his eyes wide with fear. Next to him, Tallanvor made a strangled noise, his hands shaking lightly as he gazed upon the army of nightmares. Large rumbles could be heard through the ground as feet or hooves stomped down.

"I have never seen an army as large as that one." Alanna murmured quietly, her hands unconsciously smoothing her skirts. Aviendha and Enaila, who were usually eager to fight or 'Dance', were less than anxious to move from the sheltered alcove as they stared upon the very fortress of Shayol Ghul itself, into the valley

Rand said nothing as he stared impassively at the sight in front of him. Thakan'dar, an eternally fog-shrouded valley was below them, faint grey buildings of foreign design faintly visible. This valley led directly into the dark mountain to where the bore had been created; the bore that had partially freed the Dark One in the Age of Legends and had caused the biggest war in history to occur. A continual low rumble of what sounded like thunder could be heard. Immense heat flowed from the mountain like a living entity, and Rand could feel it from leagues away. The sky above the mountain and valley was dark red, a swirling maelstrom of fire and death and a visible sign of the Dark Ones power. And marching from the fog-filled valleys were massive lines of black shaped figures. Banners flew in the wind, the icons of the Trollocs clans. Skulls, bones, knives and daggers were proudly painted and presented, as black cloaked Myrddraal, hundreds of them and always separated from each other, rode on black horses, their cloaks still in the wind that blew the banners.

"Do you know that nobody has seen what we are seeing for the last three thousand years, those who lived anyway," Alanna muttered softly. "Even Jain Farstrider was only rumored to have come here, it was never proven. Before that, Lews Therin Telamon and his Hundred Companions were the last known visitors. Texts indicate that Shayol Ghul was an island in a calm sea, before the breaking of the world."

"There has to be a million of them!" Huin whispered fearfully. He turned to Rand, his expression pleading and fearful. "Shienar can not hold Tarwin's pass if this host comes to take it! We will fall, just like Malkier!"

"There they are!" Tallanvor suddenly said, his hand gesturing to the pathways from the mountains. A few hundred Trollocs that once would have seemed like an invincible army to Rand were pitiful when compared to the mighty army that was leaving Shayol Ghul. In this host, Rand could see tiny figures…human figures.

"What do we do now?" Huin asked Rand. "My Lord?"

Rand frowned, watching the host carefully. In his mind he could feel Alanna, tense and wary, but also excited. "You're excited?" Rand asked the Aes Sedai in disbelief.

Alanna turned her gaze upon him, her face carefully masked. Only Rand could see the sparkle in her eye. "I am an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. We exist only to be present at the Last Battle, only to fight the shadowspawn. To me, this is what I was born to do."

Rand thought she was insane, and his thoughts were mirrored by the look of Tallanvors face. Only Aviendha and Enaila looked as if they had understood Alanna, and they suddenly eyed her with a new respect.

"Wait a minute," Huin said as he squinted down at the valley below. "The Trollocs, the ones that have Jania, most of them are leaving for the army!"

Rand could see that Huin spoke the truth as dark figures from the host darted after the army with speed to rival a horse. Only a dozen remained, herding twice their number towards the fog filled valley.

"There are no walls, no towers." Rand mused out loud. "And most, if not all of the Trollocs would have left with the army."

"No," Huin whispered as it dawned on him. "I-I-Into Thakan'dar? Light, you are insane! My Lord," He hastily added.

"Are you a fool?" Ihvon asked gruffly. "If you die, Alanna will feel it and it is the last thing that she needs."

"I am not a fragile doll Ihvon." Alanna declared firmly, her dark eyes flashing in anger.

"You have my spear, Rand al'Thor." Enaila spoke determinedly.

"You also have mine." Aviendha spoke, the anger from her face when she spoke to Rand gone.

"It will be the three of us then." Rand murmured. Fear shuttled through him, the emotion stronger than he had ever recalled, but also adrenaline and determination. This was what he had come here for. Over the journey, Rand had realised that it wasn't solely the girl he had come for but also for the chance to strike at the Shadow. He had not forgotten the Slayer, his supposed Uncle and the newest commander of the shadowspawn. Still, saving Jania, the cheerful and innocent young girl, was never far from his mind.

Huin and Tallanvor looked relieved to be able to stay and guilty that they felt that way. Alanna looked at him blandly, her face giving away nothing.

"Am I to stay as well?" She asked mildly, but her tone had a warning note in it.

"Yes." Rand answered. "I have heard the stories from the Age of Legends, how they could turn an Aes Sedai who walked in the Light to the shadow in Shayol Ghul."

"They could be rumours, myths, nothing more." Alanna answered, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Or not." Rand said, dropping his pack to the ground as he rummaged through it, withdrawing knives, daggers and vials of various powders. "Besides, the Dark One is bound in that mountain, right there…not a league form where we are going. What if He can sense you channel?"

"The Dark One is bound at Shayol Ghul, was bound at the moment of creation by the Creator, and at the act of the Dragon." Alanna declared firmly.

"Is He?" Rand asked her. Huin squirmed from his position and Tallanvor flinched. Even Ihvon grimaced at the idea and Alanna looked startled. "Look at that army."

Alanna was silent for a moment, her dark eyes boring into Rand's head. He could feel the frustration and anger she felt, and the fear. Finally, he felt the acceptance and stilled a smile. "I will stay." She said, as if she had intended to all along and sat down on a large squarish rock, her hands in her lap. "Be quick though,"

Rand shot a look at Tallanvor, who looked equally surprised and exasperated. "Women," He muttered softly.

'What was that Lord Rand?" Huin asked from across the room.

"Nothing!" Rand answered hastily, his cheeks heating up as he bent his head into his pack. He finally found what he was looking for, a slim throwing knife, and stood up straight.

"Huin, I need to tell you something." Rand said seriously to the Shienar. "I am not a Lord."

Huin rolled his eyes, having heard this too many times to count.

"I am a Queens Guard from Andor, nothing more," Rand continued.

"My Lord, all of the Noble Houses started off as soldiers, or farmers, or men and women who did something incredible." Huin answered thoughtfully. He straightened and bowed deep. "You are a Lord by your actions. Were I not Dremenden's man, I would offer you my allegiance. There are few who are as…fearless as you are. Lords exist to be righteous and noble and to create justice in the lands. You are a Lord, Rand, you are a Lord."

Rand grimaced at that. The true reason he was fearless was because he had been gentled, he did not care for his own life.

"If we follow this wall of rock east, we can circle around unseen." Enaila suggested.

"We need to move quickly." Aviendha said, her blue-green eyes never wavering in their determination. "If Shadowrunners need them to make their blades, then they will need them soon if they are to leave with the army."

"Then let's run…run very, very fast." Rand responded grimly.

* * *

Jania shivered as she entered the strange fog, holding her arms to her skinny and hungry body closer. Behind her, the feline-like Trolloc gave her a rough push, sending her staggering forward as it hissed impatiently. She couldn't see anything; the dark fog filled her vision. Only the pushes kept her moving forward as she strained to move her legs at all. Her mind kept flashing back to the Trolloc army that had been leaving Shayol Ghul. In her heart, she knew that it was going for Tarwin's Gap. It was the only pass in that direction that could be usable by such a large army. Shienar was doomed. Its army could not defeat that number; maybe it could kill half of them but not all of them. Shienar would fall to the Blight.

Suddenly she was out from the grey mists and fog, staring at large grey stone buildings, crudely built. Some humans were sitting on what could only be described as a porch, their eyes blank and dull and dressed in plain clothing. They looked so ordinary, but Jania knew that they were Soulless. Any life in their eyes was gone, only an animated body sat on stone benches, still as statues as they waited for orders and targets to kill. She and the rest of the captives were led through the deserted streets of the strangest and most foul city Jania had ever seen. One time, she thought she had seen a hole filled with bones, some blackened and cracked and some new and gleaming white. After seeing two Trollocs lead a struggling and whimpering man away, Jania kept her eyes shut on the black stones that paved the road and thought of her home and her friends. They wouldn't know how she died; she would just be gone to them. She would miss Ellen and Meraga the most…and her Father, she missed him terribly. He wasn't coming anymore, she knew that. Not even he would come to the Blight, even for his daughter. She soon succumbed to a daydream about her room back at the manor, and her dolls and practice swords.

"Stay here!" The Trolloc behind her hissed, and Jania looked up as she came out of her daydreams and looked around frantically. A grey stone building was in front of them, built on the very slopes of Shayol Ghul itself. Nearby, Jania could see a large and dark tunnel that led into the mountain. Evil radiated from the depths, a taint and chaotic presence that Jania could feel easily. She whimpered slightly, tears running down her cheeks.

"The forger's still working!" The cat Trolloc called out as it came from the building. Disappointed moans came from its comrades, some growling or scuffling the ground with their feet, talons or hooves. "But he's got one blade ready, and we get the body afterwards!"

Hoots and growls came from the armored beasts, some licking their snouts or lips with a hungry look in their eyes.

"Take this one, he's tall and wiry. Nice meat on this one, yes!" One of the Trollocs shouted, grabbing a tall boys arm. The boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, whimpered but made no other sound as he was dragged forward. His eyes were lost, his hope dead for weeks.

The cat Trolloc considered it, licking its sharp claws as it gazed over the crowd. Its eyes came upon Jania and it smiled maliciously.

"This one here," It said, grabbing Jania by the arm. Its claws sank into her skin and she screamed in pain as she was dragged away from the group. "This is the human that took hundreds of our brethren to take; it is only fair that she be killed first!"

Jania took one last glimpse of the sky before she was hurled into the building with great force, bouncing on the stone floor painfully and coming to rest at a large bench.

A giant man…no, it wasn't a man. It was…grey and featureless, strong and tall. It held a large iron hammer, almost the size of Jania herself, and was smashing it down on the glowing red blade on the anvil. Tools littered the bench, hammers, chisels and others. Jania stood shakily, her legs wobbling as the thing picked the sword up, dipping into a small stream that flowed from one side of the building to another.

"No!" Jania whispered in fright as it turned to her. "NO!"

It did not enjoy killing or taking life, it did not enjoy or hate anything. The Forger was designed to build; it had no intelligent thoughts or even a will of its own. All it knew was that it needed to make blades, and to finish off the blade he needed to bind a human's soul to it.

* * *

"NO!" Came the loud screech from inside the building.

"Now!" Rand shouted and he jumped from behind one of the buildings, sprinting up the paved road to the Trollocs. The city…if you could call it that had been deserted and he had not seen a single alive being at all. But wickedness and evil tainted the very air he breathed in; dark energy seemed to pulse off the buildings. The worse was the tunnel that he had passed just before; there had been no words to describe what he had felt down there, something ancient and old, evil and dark, older than the Wheel of time itself. A small glance at the tunnel had been enough to send him into a shaking fit, retching and shivering on the ground. Luckily Aviendha and Enaila had picked him up and had dragged him behind a building. They hadn't said anything, though Aviendha had seemed anxious and worried as she checked his body for wounds. He had staggered up moments, later the feelings gone and had tried to explain them to the Aiel women.

"This place is evil," Enaila had whispered fearfully, her courage as an Aiel almost gone.

"We should not be here." Aviendha agreed.

"But we are here, and we need to stay alert." Rand reminded them out loud, though it was more to himself than them.

They had followed the Trollocs leading the captives, children and youths with wide eyes and fearful expressions on their faces, easily and quickly. Trollocs were lazy when there was not a Myrddraal to push them, and these Trollocs had taken their time. Rand had watched as Jania had been taken in and had sent Enaila to the left and Aviendha to the right of the captives.

A Trolloc looked up in surprise, its hand going for its sword, but if fell silently as Unfolding the Fan sliced its throat open. With a deft flick of his hand, a knife slammed into the head another Trolloc, and it collapsed with a grunt. Enaila threw her spear, the barbed metal head catching one Trolloc in the chest, while she unloaded her bow and shot four arrows with a true shot, dropping three others. Aviendha moved like a cat, gliding forward gracefully as she stabbed and whirled her spear, deflecting a sword blow and sending a spray of blood towards the ground as she felled a Trolloc with horns. Rand's sword blurred as he cut down four more and he ran for the building.

"Aviendha!" He shouted, gesturing for the captives, who were looking at the fighting with wide eyed surprise and shock, hope in their eyes.

He didn't wait to see if she would obey, but slammed open the doors, cutting down a cat-liked Trolloc with ease. Blood stained his coat as he stalked into the room, his eyes immediately picking up the crouched form of Jania and a large…thing…hovering above her with a thin and long sword, grey and dull. With a roar, he jumped forward, Cat up the Tree on his sword as he blocked the downward strike at Jania.

"Get outside, now!" He roared at Jania, who immediately crawled away from the straining figure of Rand and ran for the doors. Rand waited a few seconds and jumped back as the thing pushed, its strength far superior to any man alive. The blade whirred as Rand ducked, and it crushed through the stone table as pebbles and shrapnel cut into Rand's back. Rand staggered back as the Forger whirled the blade with easily a Blademasters speed, but not skill. Unfolding the Fan met a heavy thrust downwards; Frog in the Pond deflected a wild diagonal slash, Here Soars the Eagle let Rand drive his blade deep into the Forgers chest. There was a cracking noise as the power-wrought blade did what no steel or iron could as it penetrated the thick 'skin' of the Forger. For a moment, Rand heaved a sigh of relief before the Forger moved forward just as easily as it had before.

"Rand?" Enaila shouted from outside.

"In here!" Rand shouted back, before he had to dive to the side as the Forger lunged with the sword, impaling the great stone table and cracking it easily with its huge strength. "There's a big grey thing that just…Blood and Ashes!" Rand cursed as he dived under the table as the Forger slashed at him again. For a moment Rand stared at the Forgers feet, great iron armored boots, but his whole body looked like that, before a blade suddenly thrust downwards, through the stone and an inch from Rand's head. Rand scuttled backwards on his hands as the blade was withdrawn and plunged in again, this time grazing Rand's ear.

A whooshing noise and the familiar twang of a bowstring filled the air, and metal struck metal.

Rand took the chance to get up from under the table and he saw Enaila holding a bow, a startled look on her face as she fired another arrow. It flashed through the air and struck the Forger in the head, splintering and cracking as it did so. The Forger advanced on Enaila, who saw the sword planted in its chest as she dropped her bow and gripped her spear, her face that of one preparing to die. She wasn't scared, Aiel were never scared of death, but Rand knew that no Aiel would want to die on these slopes, so close to the Dark One.

As the Forger advanced, Rand's scrambled for something, a weapon or anything. It closed around a white hammer, light and quite larger but probably nothing more than a chisel for the giant Forger. With a roar, he jumped forward and tackled the Forger on the back, clinging on to its shoulders with one hand and the hammer on the other. The Forger whirled around, its head twisting and turning as it tried to get a glimpse of Rand and it raised its sword. Rand heaved the hammer that was dangling toward the ground and bought it into an overhead blow, smashing the Forger on the head. There was a searing heat and Rand was blown backwards, landing painfully on the floor.

He shook his head, still clinging to the Void and ignoring the aches he felt as he looked up. The Forger was making jerky and erratic movements, its head cracked and broken. The white hammer was laying on the ground in perfect condition. Suddenly the Forger stopped, one hand clutching its head and the other its sword. In was frozen, standing as still as a statue. Rand jumped to his feet, picking up the hammer as he did and strode over to the frozen Forger, swinging the hammer with all of his might. It crashed into the Forgers neck and the grayish-blue metal cracked and broke. With a low groan, the head fell off the body and crashed to the ground, putting a large dent into the stone. Rand pulled his sword from the Forgers chest and turned to Enaila, who had picked up her bow and had nocked an arrow into it.

"I have _toh, _Rand al'Thor." She said.

Rand waved it away tiredly with his hand. "I think we should leave now." He told Enaila, who nodded hastily in agreement.

The two of them walked outside quickly, Rand holding his sword in one hand and the hammer in the other. Outside, Aviendha stared at the two of them behind her veil, her blue-green eyes flickering with an unidentifiable emotion. Rand smiled weakly at her as he glanced around. A dozen Trollocs lay dead on the ground, the ones that had been shot with the bows had had the arrows in them taken out. But no alarm had been raised, no swarm of Shadowspawn were descending on their position. Jania stood in the middle of a small crowd of children or youths, her red hair dirty and frayed and her body skinny. But her eyes were alive with hope and gratitude, blinding any pain or hurt she may have been in.

"Lord Rand," She murmured. "You came!"

Rand bowed his head, in no mood to play the hero for once. His eyes flicked over the tunnel entrance and he shivered. "Enaila, stand guard with the bow. Aviendha, you lead us away. I'll protect the rear."

Both Aiel nodded, veils lowered and eyes alert and wary. Slowly, at a trot because of the slow moving captives, they left the Forge and the dead Trollocs, as they made their way from Shayol Ghul.

* * *

The Slayer shivered as the aftereffects of pleasure and pain tingled throughout his body. He was blessed by the Dark one, both of him and none. He smiled despite himself as he walked through the dark tunnel towards the outside world, absent-mindedly avoiding the large spikes that littered the ceiling. A long time ago, one of his personas had come to the Blight seeking glory and fame. The other had been raised as by Trollocs, worshiping the Great Lord of Dark in all his glory. They had met, both Darkfriends and sworn to the Great Lord's cause, in the Mountains of Dhoom. There was a mergence as the Great Lord bestowed upon them great powers, not the One Power but mere atoms of His own power, enough to make any normal man far more powerful. One of them had lived, the other had died, and both had merged. He was both of them and none of them.

The Great Lord had been pleased with the news of the Trolloc army. It would take Shienar easily, killing and razing their cities and people. The South and other Borderlands would come to intervene and the Trollocs would be driven off and defeated. That is, of course, when the other armies already being bred would take Saldea, twice as large as this army. Two Borderlands would be gone and the Blight would advance as the South sent an army to Saldea, where Slayer would then take Arad Doman as the two remaining Borderlands fortified their position and begged for military aid, fearful that they would be next. It would be grand, the second Trolloc War that would take the world.

As Slayer walked out of the tunnel, the smell of fresh blood and death filled his scent, and he turned to look at the source. Twelve Trollocs lay dead on the ground, their faces a picture of twisted shock and surprise. Slayer was shocked, more shocked than he had ever been. Where were the prisoners? Perhaps the Forger…Slayer quickly ran inside the large Forger and howled loudly in anger and fury. The Forger had been destroyed, the only on of its kind! Slayer did not know how to build or construct another one! The only maker of Myrddraal blades was dead! Ba'alzamon would be furious with him when he awoke as he was drifted back into the pattern in a year! Unconsciously, Slayer shivered in fear at the mere thought of the half-human Forsaken who had never been bound properly. Ba'alzamon was insane at best, but he drew more than just droplets from the Dark One. Suddenly Slayer smiled, twisted and angrily but still a smile. Al'Thor, the one he had been goading and trying to kill. This was his work, Slayer knew it. Well, where had he told Al'Thor to meet him? The Eye of the World, of course! He would find and rip apart the damned _ta'veren_!

* * *

Rand shifted his stance slightly, his blade flowing smoothly through the patterns as Trollocs died easily beneath his sword. He danced around the lumbering beasts, quick and agile as he struck with deadliness in each slash. Another Trolloc fell as Parting the Silk parted the Trollocs throat, and Hammer meets Anvil cleaved a head in two. The hammer in his left hand also moved quickly, smashing into anything that came close and never breaking as it cracked armour, helmets, swords, shields and bones. Beside him, Aviendha and Enaila fought with their spears, stabbing wildly and with great skill as the hordes of Trollocs descended upon the small trail. They had gotten past Thakan'dar and had almost reached the path when suddenly a loud howl had echoed from the valley. A few seconds later, Trollocs had poured from the buildings and valleys with scythe-like swords in their hands. The group had been easily spotted, and Trollocs could move as fast as a horse when they were being forced to stop being lazy. So the captives had been told to run ahead for five minutes to find the rest of the group, while Rand, Aviendha and Enaila covered the path, retreating slowly and leaving dead bodies strewed on the ground.

Suddenly Rand heard a female scream, and Enaila staggered back, her spear still held high as she stabbed at the nearest Trolloc. A large arrow lay deep in her shoulder, barbed metal digging into the flesh. Blood dripped from wound as Enaila sent a pain-filled look towards Rand, just as she killed another Trolloc. Rand smoothly sidestepped, placing her at his back as his severed a horned head with a drooling snout. As another arrow whished through the air, Rand submerged himself deeper into the void. Suddenly everything became clearer, he could see the sweat on his arms…each individual sweat drop, the tiny pores on his skin squeezing the liquid past. He could see the slightly scratch on the Trollocs nose in front of him, more than twenty meters away. And he could see the arrow, bared and sharpened as it flied through the air slowly, passing the even slower moving Trollocs. With a great effort, he lifted his left arm, the limb moving at a snails pace. The arrow came, the arm was being raised, his sword stabbed into the throat of a Trolloc, the arrow was closer and closer and suddenly the arm was up, the buckler facing outwards. Rand felt the arrow strike the buckler, felt the vibrations that shot through his arm as the arrow stabbed into the metal, its head twisted as it fell to the ground, felt the blaring pain that echoed in his arm as the bone inside was snapped, felt the blood…each cell, as they flurried in rapid movements in his veins.

"Urgh!" Rand grunted as he loosened the hold on the Void. The pain in his arm was fresh and new and it almost distracted him from the next Trolloc, but he dropped to one knee, River flows over Rock cutting the charging Trolloc into two pieces. He grimaced in pain as he took another step backwards. Next to him, Aviendha had a large slash in her stomach, blood gushing from the wound. Her movements were beginning to get slow and sluggish and her eyes were glazed over. Behind him, Enaila was panting in pain as she gripped the thick arrow in her shoulder; eyes squeezed shut and her bow on the floor. A tear leaked from them, and Rand knew that whatever pain Enaila was feeling that made her cry would kill any other man or women with the same wound. His left arm lay at a twisted angle, the white Hammer still clasped loosely in his grip. They would not survive the next few Trollocs. As Rand waited and held still, nothing in front of him moved. Corpses littered the ground, mutated human and animal bodies broken and bleeding. There were at least a hundred of them, their swords lying still on the ground. Two Trolloc archers lay a little further, two arrows centered in their chests.

"Is…is that it?" Rand asked weakly, his sword still poised to strike.

Aviendha said nothing, her hands over her wound. Her eyes were wide but determined, and held a dangerous glint in them.

"Lord Rand!" Somebody called from behind him. Rand whirled around, his sword dripping dark blood as it settled into a defensive stance, only to see Huin and Tallanvor approaching with their swords out. They came closer and Huin's eyes went wide, gazing at the dead bodies of the Trollocs with awe.

"At least a hundred," He muttered to himself.

Tallanvor also looked suitably impressed but it died as he took in the wounded conditions of the Aiel.

"Huin, Tallanvor, help Enaila back to the clearing and get Alanna to heal her immediately." Rand ordered, approaching Aviendha. He placed a warm hand over her shoulder, and she flinched and looked up. Her face was stony cold and determined, but undercurrents of pain could be seen in her eyes. Aiel were very strong fighters, the wound that Aviendha sported would have knocked another man out.

"Yes My Lord," Tallanvor answered as he and Huin lifted Enaila up, carrying her quickly away.

Rand let Aviendha lean on his arm…his right arm of course, and he led her up the path.

"That would have been an honorable way to die," Aviendha said, panting slightly.

"It's even more honorable that you didn't." Rand said, exhaustion lacing through him.

Aviendha said nothing as she leant into him; her hand still clasping her spear. "I will not give up my Spear for you." She said abruptly. "I am wed to my spear."

Rand almost choked on his own saliva. "I-I never…I mean, I…what?"

"No matter how handsome you are, I will not give up my spear." Aviendha declared firmly, more to herself than Rand. "If I take you as a lover, you might convince me to lay a bridal wreath at your feet. So there will be nothing between us, nothing!"

Rand said nothing, confused at the Aiel. She had hated him from the start, now she was saying that she would not marry him? Still, a tingle of disappoint rant though him when she said that nothing would ever happen between them. "Here we are." He muttered as the two approached the clearing, where Enaila crouched on the ground, her wound already healed and the arrow laying on the ground. Alanna approached them quickly, laying her hand on Aviendha first. Aviendha yelped as she squirmed against Rand, but Alanna's Healing closed her wound on her stomach, leaving bare skin behind. For a moment, Aviendha stayed still, her body warm against Rand's, before she suddenly pushed him away and strode to Enaila. Nearby, Tallanvor and Huin watched over the large group of children, with Jania chatting to Huin happily.

"I didn't feel you in a lot of pain for that," Alanna murmured as she brushed Rand's hair away from his forehead. Rand shivered and stifled a grunt as ice flooded into him, colder than anything he had ever touched. Still, his arm suddenly straightened and tingled as the bones were mended. "Your mind…was somewhere else when it happened."

Rand said nothing as he tested his arm, flexing his fingers around the hammer. Alanna noticed it and seized his hand, her eyes wide.

"That is _cuendillar_!" Alanna breathed. "Heartstone! It is an unbreakable substance, not even the One Power could ever hope to destroy it."

Rand eyed the hammer in his hands with a new appreciation. Carefully, he pried Alanna's fingers of his arm and placed it into his pack, which was lying against the stone wall.

"We should leave now," Ihvon said grimly. The Warder held his sword out, poised for any attack.

"Once we get up the Mountains of Dhoom…" Huin started. Suddenly he gave a strangled yell, pointing to behind Rand and Ihvon. Aviendha and Enaila jumped to their feet's as Rand and Ihvon whirled around, just as two black cloaked figures leapt from the shadows. Rand's sword cleaved the head off one of them as it lunged at him, but a cool blade slid into his chest and pain blossomed madly inside of him. Any control of the void he had disappeared as he let out a scream of pain, the figure, a Myrddraal, toppling him over to the ground, squirming and withering on the ground. Ihvon raised his sword, but the cloaked figure…another Myrddraal, impaled him in the heart. He was already dead when he fell to the ground.

"No!" Alanna screamed in agony, her head in her hands. A dark glint came to her eyes and suddenly lightning struck from the clear sky, hitting the Myrddraal in the chest. A ball of flames the size of a large boulder flew from Alanna outstretched hands and the dark cloak of the Fade burned brightly as it made horrible screeching noises. With one last use of the power, Alanna flicked her finger, her face a mask of pure rage and fury, and the Myrddraal was suddenly lifted and thrown down the mountain path with great force, bouncing off the stone walls limply.

Rand didn't see any of this, his mind racked with unbearable pain. For the first time in his life, the void was not there for him and he felt the full extent of his feelings. He lay on the ground loosely, his eyes opened and staring at the reddish sky blankly. Faces appeared over him; a woman's face neither young or old, with dark hair and beautiful features. Then came green eyes and red hair, the eyes peering anxiously at him. A tall man with dark hair and worried eyes stayed in the background. A short man with dark hair bit his lip in worry. Suddenly reddish hair appeared, with the most beautiful blue-green eyes he had ever seen.

"I…I like your eyes." Rand slurred amidst the pain.

The girl, maybe his age, stiffened but her smile was worried. "I like your eyes too." She murmured, smoothing his hair back as the dark-haired woman placed a hand on his forehead. Ice filled him, an extreme freezing sensation, but it was pale against the agony of his chest.

"You have…beautiful eyes," Rand murmured softly. "And hair…your nose is a little long…but it fits you."

The woman coloured, either by his words or by embarrassment. "Your ears are too big and your chin is too long." She replied stiffly. "You do not know how to woo women, Rand al'Thor."

"Rand al'Thor," Rand echoed. Something inside of him responded to the name. "That's…that's me, right?"

The women nodded and Rand smiled, pleased at himself. The freezing sensation was getting stronger and the pain was ebbing away ever so slowly. Rand suddenly felt tired and weary.

"I'm going to sleep." Rand announced, closing his eyes.

"NO!" The women with beautiful eyes shouted. "Do something Aes Sedai!"

"His wound is great; it will take time to heal, maybe five minutes!" The other woman said, her hand never leaving his forehead.

Rand ignored them as he drifted off, his mind wandering. The icy sensation was numbing his pain. It was a nice sensation, soothing and relaxful, and Rand just wanted to fall asleep by it. He closed his eyes, only to feel a stinging sensation on his cheek. He opened them, to see the redhead above him, her green eyes angry.

"Do not give up Rand al'Thor," The redhead said firmly.

Rand nodded vaguely, his eyes unfocussed as he drifted off to a world of colours and noises he didn't understand. Minutes passed as the pain grew dimmer and dimmer, his strength returning to him. He flexed his arm muscles and smiled faintly when they responded. Suddenly the pain was gone and he focused his eyes and ears. Alanna was sitting back, tears running down her face as she gazed at Ihvon, who lay dead on the ground. Aviendha and Enaila were squatting next to him, and Aviendha was talking.

"..are a foolish man, Rand al'Thor. Stupid and stubborn, never knowing what's…"

"It's nice to see you too Aviendha." Rand remarked dryly as he pushed himself up form the ground. He gazed down at his chest, seeing only torn and bloodied cloth that revealed smooth skin.

"Are you alright My Lord?" Huin asked anxiously.

"I'm fine…Ihvon, oh no." Rand muttered. He crouched down, feeling Alanna's deep seated pain at losing another Warder and gave her a one armed hug, lifting her up. "Alanna, we need to leave now and quickly."

Alanna stared at him, her eyes red and weepy. "Yes." She said, shaking her head and drying her tears. "Yes," she repeated more firmly.

"Trollocs! Hundreds of them, coming from the path!" Tallanvor shouted, running into the clearing.

"Run!" Rand shouted to the group, picking up his pack quickly. His sword and hammer stayed in his hands as he gave Alanna a gentle push towards the path. The group ran, Rand hanging back with Jania and the captives. Some of them were as young as six, and were panting and exhausted. Blood and Ashes! He needed a safe place, any place that could get them away from the Trollocs. As long as it was away from where he was, he didn't care where he was. Suddenly the path above exploded in a whirl of lights and the next step Rand took, he was in a green garden. Life was in abundance here, beautiful flowers grew from the ground and mighty trees shot from the earth.

"What is this place?" Enaila wondered out loud in awe. She had never seen such life before, ever. No Aiel had.

Aviendha said nothing, breathing in deeply the fresh air, while Huin and Tallanvor relaxed where they stood as peace of contentment washed over them. Alanna forgot her grief for a second as the aura of this place affected even her, and Jania and the captives stared with amazement and awe as a man made of vines and leaves stepped out from behind a tree. He was a plant, green and growing with life. Only a scar marred his features, brown and dead roots burnt at the side of his face. His eyes twinkled as he bowed.

"Welcome to my gardens." He said in a melodious voice.


	15. The Eye of the World: Slayer and Saidin

"The Green Man!" Huin uttered in awe as he stared wide –eyed at the man in front of him.

Rand took a better look at the figure of legends. The man standing in front of him was bigger than Rand, much bigger. His hair was grass flowing towards his shoulders and his skin was vines and roots, his eyes huge hazelnuts, his fingernails acorns. Green leaves made his tunic, and his trousers were seamless bark. He was the epitome of life and growth, only marred by a scar that ran up his cheek and across his temple. Brown vines struggled to stay alive, or withered and died at that scar.

The Green Man bowed his head, smiling gently. As he smiled, flowers burst into bloom all across the green garden, trees swayed in contentment and the butterflies that hovered and flew around his head paused, as if feeling something that mere humans couldn't.

"I was surprised when the Gardens opened up at the very edges of Shayol Ghul itself," The Green Man remarked, gazing upon the group in front of him with a wise look in his…hazelnut eyes. "Ah, a man from the Borderlands. It has been a long time since one of you has been here. Have you come to view my gardens?"

Huin opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to work the words on his tongue. The Green Man shrugged slightly and moved his eyes over towards Tallanvor, who fidgeted where he stood.

"Another man, from the south." He murmured. "Have those from Parran Disen resurrected the old armies of the Dragon?"

Tallanvor blinked, confusing marring his features. "What…Parran Disen?"

The Green Man looked on the verge of saying something, but a lost look appeared on his face, confusion and sadness mingled together. "Forgive me," he murmured. "Those were times long ago. My memory is hazy and full of holes…sometimes it is hard to remember that now is now and then is gone."

"Parran Disen was one of the largest cities of the Age of Legends," Alanna said quietly, her eyes red and dull but her back straight and proud. "Home of the Hall of Servants, the White Tower of those times, and home of the Dragon, Lews Therin Telamon."

The Green Man nodded, his face brightening. "Yes, that is right! Forgive me, you have the look of one who was born in Parran Disen."

Tallanvor said nothing but he bowed his head reverently. The Green Man then switched to Alanna, who stared back at him regally.

"An Aes Sedai. I have not had a Little Sister in the Gardens for many years, not since…Moiraine…that was her name, Moiraine. Do you know of her?" The Green Man asked.

"She is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah." Alanna answered slowly. "I have never spoken to her,"

The Green Man nodded and walked forward, placing a gentle hand to lift Alanna's downcast head. "You are wracked with grief and loss, but do not be. Lives are spun in and out of the Pattern, and the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. Stay here and remember and mourn your loss, then leave and be strong again. Come Little Sister, come and be healed by the gardens."

Alanna looked wondrous as the Green Man handed her a crystal white flower that appeared from absolutely nowhere. The Green Man smiled gently and turned his eyes over to Jania and the other children and youths.

"Children!" The Green Man exclaimed and a bright smile appeared on his features. "It has been long has the garden seen the innocence of children, before it was only the bitterness and determination of warriors. Come little ones, come and play in my gardens. Enjoy them while you are here."

Jania exchanged looks with another child, an older boy with dark hawk-like eyes. Smiles appeared on most of the children's faces as The Green Man urged them towards the beautiful streams and rivers that bubbled contently in the fields and meadows. Without any further urging, they scampered forward, young as six and old as sixteen, smiles of joy and happiness of their faces and yells and giggles of laughter in their voices. Only Jania and the hawk-eyed boy stayed, sliding closer towards Rand.

The Green Man sighed as he watched the children play, their traumatic experiences almost forgotten. "I can tell that they have been through something horrible and dangerous. I pray my gardens help them find peace and acceptance." He turned his eyes over towards Aviendha and Enaila and his smile deepened, if that was at all possible.

"Da'shain Aiel, have you remembered the covenant? Have you come to serve once more? Once, the greatest of works of the Aes Sedai were only achieved by the support of the Da'shain Aiel. Do the Children of the Dragon remember?" The Green Man asked eagerly.

Aviendha and Enaila exchanged quick and unreadable looks.

"We do not understand you, bringer of life." Aviendha responded.

The Green Man sighed, and the wind sighed in the trees. "I did not think you would but I had hoped." He admitted. His eyes flickered over to Rand and they widened.

"Another Child of the Dragon…or…" The Green Man trailed off. "You wear a sword. That is of neither then or now, strange. Tell me Child of the Dragon, why is it that you came here?"

Rand stared at the Green Man with confusion. Children of the Dragon? Da'shain Aiel? Covenant? "We…are fleeing from Shayol Ghul," He answered slowly. "We came to rescue the children that are with us."

The Green Man looked surprised, his eyes flicking over towards Alanna and back again at Rand. "It has been a long time since men dared to fight the shadow at the source, Dragon. Did Ba'alzamon find you…no, he has not been woven into the pattern again. Were the armies of old called to your side? Have the technology for Jo-cars and hoverflies been rediscovered? Were the weaves of old used once again? Tell me Child of the Dragon, come with me and tell me of your journey."

Rand shifted on his feet at the name, but followed the Green Man as he led Rand into a small clearing, where smooth black rocks made a bench and chairs. Nobody followed him as he sat down and began talking. The sun did not go down, the light remained constant as if the sun had been stopped in the afternoon. For some reason, Rand felt a kinship to the man…creature…whatever he was. Absolute trust and comfort swelled within him and his tongue loosened as he let words fly.

The Green Man listened to the story, nodding at some places and frowning at others. Rand told him everything, his heart bored open to this stranger he did not know. He told him of the Gentling, Two Rivers, Caemlyn, the Aiel Waste, Fal Dara, the Blight and Shayol Ghul. He told him of his feelings, his resentment of the Aes Sedai, his feelings of dread about the large Trollocs army, his anger at Alanna, the resentment Aviendha felt towards him, how much he missed Andor and Elayne, even of his old friend back in Baerlon, Min. When he was done, he felt as if a large burden had gone off his shoulders. He felt bare and empty, blessedly empty.

The Green Man smiled sadly at Rand, standing up. He held out a hand towards Rand, who took it, marvelling at the warmth of the roots and vines that made up the Green Man.

"Your destiny is far from over," The Green Man said sadly. "Oh, the pain and suffering you will feel in your life. It is enough to make me weep."

And sure enough, two twinkling drops of pure water dripped from the hazelnut eyes that stared sadly at Rand.

"Why do you call Aviendha, Enaila and myself…children of the Dragon?"

"It is ancient history, something that I will not reveal. I fear it would break the Aiel worse than any war would." The Green Man replied, gazing at the clouded sky with sadness. "Oh how things have changed when my kind walked the earth. Changed for the worse…"

"What are you?" Rand asked the Green Man, who sighed even more sadly, trees swaying in an unseen wind as another set of tears fell from his face. Above the trees, grey clouds grew and multiplied. From the sky, came a light splattering of rain. As rain dripped onto Rand, lightly belting

"Long ago, in the time you call the Age of Legends, my kind were numerous and plentiful. We were constructs of the One Power, created for peace and life. We grew beautiful, beautiful things for the Aes Sedai, our creators and masters. Crops never died, plants grew to full bloom and the Trees of Life grew on every street in every city. Then the War of the Shadow began, and my kind continued to grow and care for things. But we started dieing out…we were never designed to withstand the terrible chaotic powers of the Dark One, the powers that spread chaos and evil and kills and mutates all life. At the breaking of the world, I was the only Nym alive. That is our species name, the Nym. I created this garden as a hundred male and female Aes Sedai created the Eye of the World. I shielded and guarded the Eye, and I still do. In those times, the Blight did not exist as it does today. Now, it is a constant struggle against myself to protect these gardens, a struggle I cannot win but only delay."

Rand said nothing as the Green Man stopped crying, glancing up at the clouds with a frown.

"Now, the children will not like that," The Green Man muttered. Suddenly the clouds were blown away by an unseen wind and sunlight filtered down into the clearing. A multitude of colours glittered in the air as a rainbow formed, glowing in the sky.

"Can you take us to Shienar?" Rand asked as he and the Green Man walked back to the rest of the group.

"I can put you at the front of the Mountains of Dhoom." The Green Man answered, smiling lightly as he paused to stroke a withering flower. Something happened between the Green Man's hand and the flower, a sparkle or something, and suddenly the beautiful rose grew and grew, rising proudly as its petals bloomed.

"That would be good." Rand said. He touched the hilt of his sword briefly, shuddering slightly. "I don't think we could have defeated an army."

"No harm shall befall you in my gardens." The Green Man said firmly.

Rand didn't know how long he had been gone, but when he arrived back with the rest of the group, he found Tallanvor, Huin and Alanna sleeping, surrounded by tired and napping children. Aviendha and Enaila were leant up against a tree, their eyes dropping but still alert.

"Go to sleep Aviendha, Enaila." Rand advised. "We're safe here."

Aviendha said nothing, just staring at him, before she closed her eyes and fell immediately asleep. Enaila smiled softly at Aviendha and turned to Rand. "You worried her, she was fearful of your life when the shadowrunner stabbed you."

"Really?" Rand asked, casting his mind back to when he had been stabbed. He could only remember parts of it, but one memory stood in his mind. "She said that I had big ears and a long chin!"

Enaila chuckled lightly, her eyes finally sliding shut as she rested.

"Rest," The Green Man commanded soothingly. "I shall guard you."

Rand nodded slowly. He was tired, and his arms were feeling heavy. He laid on the soft grass and instantly, he fell asleep.

* * *

He was woken up some time later by some inaudible feeling. Yawning, he opened his bleary eyes to see the form of the Green Man looking anxiously at something past a tall line of magnificent oak trees. 

"What is it?" Rand asked the Green Man.

"There is something wrong." The Green Man muttered. "I must see to the Eye of the World."

Rand was fully awakened then, his mind flashing back to the words of Slayer. Light, he was a bloody fool to have forgotten!

"I'll come with you." Rand said, checking his sword and various knives. He made a note to include the hammer of heartstone with him. He joined the Green Man as they walked through the gardens. Though the sun was still up, the trees seemed to be asleep and the butterflies rested on flower petals. Only a faint breeze stirred any movement in the garden.

"You believe it was this Slayer, the one you told me of earlier." The Green Man asked as he led Rand into the heart of the garden. An arched opening at the side of the hill loomed, a simple arch made of white stone. On the stone, a circle was carved into it, divided by a line. One half was rough, the other smooth. Rand had seen this symbol before, but the Green Man pointed it out as they approached.

"The symbol of the Aes Sedai in times long past." He explained. They both approached the shadowed entrance and Rand tightened his grip on his sword.

"I do not like approaching this place." The Green Man confessed. "I can remember some of the making of it, Male and female Aes Sedai working together to create an enormous supply of untainted _Saidin._ There is enough pure _Saidin _in there for any man to channel for a year, two if they use it sparingly. Beautiful Katrina…she died first, burnt out from the middle as the circle lost control of the taint and it sapped her of her soul and strength. I remember burying her…" The Green Man trailed, lost in his memories.

"Should we go inside?" Rand asked, and the Green Man started. For a moment, Rand saw a person who was lost and confused, weary and weakened.

"Yes," The Green Man said slowly. He led Rand into the shadowed tunnel, which sloped downwards. The walls were pure white, and a light glowed from them, natural yet it made Rand's skin crawl. They followed the path for several hundred paces until they approached a domed cavern. Rand walked inside it, lost in the sheer beauty and magnificence of what he was seeing.

Crystals littered the dome roof, glowing and shining brightly. Some crystals glowed much more brightly than others, but the light touched Rand in a way that he never remembered before. Something sang inside of him at the mere sight of the domed roof. A path, maybe five paces wide, circled the carver, held above a giant pool. This giant pool contained a silvery glowing substance, a liquid that was not a liquid. If the very sight of the crystal light had made something sing inside of him, the sight of the slightly hypnotic pool if silvery liquid sent a burning throughout him, a deep seated warmth and glow. The pool was shaped in the oval shape of an eye, and while it was as clear as pure water, Rand couldn't see the bottom of it.

"It holds a certain appeal to it, doesn't it?" Said a cold mocking voice. Rand whirled around, his sword flying from his scabbard as a figure stepped out from the shadows. For a moment, Rand wondered how shadows could exist in the glowing crystal light as the man walked forward.

He was dressed in black clothes, dark trousers and a dark shirt, topped by a dark vest. He had dark hair and cold blue eyes, his face full of planes and angles. A stone would have been softer than this man and a maniacal glint burned in his eyes. Shadows seemed to flicker and warp around him and he had a black scabbard strapped to his waist, a gleaming silver hilt showing.

"I am Slayer." The man said, his voice sounding grated and odd. For a moment, Rand though he had heard two voices…one with a deep baritone and the other with a lighter voice.

"You are not welcome here!" The Green Man bellowed angrily. His hazelnut eyes were furious, his fists clenching. Rand knew that if he had been outside, the trees would be stiff and taught, the flowers tall and strong.

"Leave us," Slayer said dismissively. "Your kind is gone, dead to the world. You are the last…and I will destroy you and your garden if you are not gone from here!"

The Green Man's face was hard and angry. As he raised his arms, a large tremble ran through the cavern as vines snagged along the walls, growing in size as they moved. The ground rumbled menacingly as the Green Man stepped forward, a rumble for every footstep.

Slayer looked unimpressed and he waved a cloaked hand. Something dark and slithery, oily and black and full of rotting tainted power, rolled off him and suddenly from the shadows, three dark hounds stepped. Their bodies were large and thick, almost as big as ponies, and their teeth gleamed as they stalked forward, their eyes burning crimson.

"Kill the other humans in the gardens. Men, women, children, all of them." Slayer commanded.

The Darkhounds yelped as they shot off into the tunnel, and the Green Man hesitated.

"Go to them!" Rand yelled as he stepped forward, his sword high.

The Green Man whirled around, running as a blur as he shot after the Darkhounds, leaving Rand alone with Slayer. Rand knew that the Darkhounds would rip through the sleeping group before the Green Man arrived. There was no way to warn them unless…his bond with Alanna. For a second, Rand concentrated on all of his fear and caution and danger, feeding everything else into his flame. His mind was alive with the emotions, and Rand had never felt so afraid as he pummelled the bundle of emotions in his mind. He only hoped that would work as he stepped forward to confront Slayer.

* * *

Alanna's eyes suddenly snapped open. Fear and caution rushed through her and her arms shook, her teeth chattering as she shivered violently. She had never been so scared and afraid in her life. For a moment, she though she was reliving Owein's and Ihvon's death, but it only took her a few moments to realise that she was feeling the effects of the Warder bond. If Rand was feeling that scared, then there was trouble. Suddenly an overwhelming sense of incoming danger overwhelmed her and she shot to her feet. 

Nothing stirred in the forest, but the trees were tall and straight, far from the peaceful forms she had seen before. Anger and determination scented the air as Alanna watched, her dark eyes narrowed. Three fast moving figures were approaching from the trees, at speeds greater than a horse. As they came closer, Alanna suddenly felt the taint that accompanied Shadowspawn. She opened her mouth to yell something, just as the first of the Darkhounds leapt from the trees.

Alanna concentrated, embracing _Saidar _in an instant. She wove expertly and quickly, and suddenly the tree line exploded in roaring rumble of flames Lightning struck quickly after as the Darkhounds jumped to the left, one aiming for the sleeping children.

"What's going on?" Tallanvor grumbled as he opened his eyes. They flickered over at the standing Alanna and the Darkhounds leaping forward and he jumped up, his sword flying from his scabbard and into his hands.

"Up the swords!" Tallanvor shouted. "Shadowspawn! Up the swords Huin! Aiel, up the Spears!"

Aviendha and Enaila were on their feet a second later, a spear and bow in their respective hands. Two arrows flew even as Enaila was jumping up, striking one Darkhound in the flank. Huin grunted sleepily as he opened his eyes, yelping as he staggered backwards, fumbling for his short sword. Jania and the children were also awakening as Alanna flicked her fingers.

Loud roars accompanied bolts of lightning that exploded from her hands, lances of deadly power. One Darkhound yelped as it was struck, blown back off its feet and away from the children. A ball of fire erupted from Alanna's hand and another Darkhound had to dodged as it flew past, exploding on a large oak tree.

Suddenly the ground rumbled as a blur raced into the clearing, leaves flying wildly and trees groaning as a harsh wind blew fiercely, just as the blur stopped. The Green Man stood there, anger etched onto his kind face. He raised a hand and the wind turned into a gust, the gust into a gale. Trees creaked in protest the gale blew through the clearing, striking one Darkhound and sending it sprawling across the clearing with great force. Roots suddenly exploded from the ground, large and ancient roots of the old trees, which swayed with what seemed like approval as the roots shot out and encircled a second Darkhound. They charred and withered as they touched the tainted animal, but they continued to force it to the ground as more and more roots and vines burst from the ground to help. In seconds, a large mound stood where a Darkhound had. But it was quickly turning yellow and corrupted, as the Green Man turned to the third Darkhound, which had leapt for him.

For a moment, fear rushed into the Green Man's face as he lifted his hands, vines shooting from them. The vines turned brown, some bursting into flame, as the Darkhound touched them. It was only milliseconds before the Darkhound would strike the Green Man when a burst of lightning flew at it. The Darkhound howled angrily, the howl brutal and loud, as the lightning sent it sprawling away, lightning cackling over its fur. It got up, eyes burning brightly as the Darkhound that had been thrown away limped over. Suddenly fire burst from the root covered mound and the third Darkhound burst out of it covered in cuts and grazes. Black blood, oily and tainted, dripped to the ground, killing the grass as it touched it.

"Tallanvor, Huin, take Jania and go! You too Aviendha, Enaila!" Alanna shouted, her dark eyes burning with fury. She flicked her finger, _Saidar _leaping at her command, and to the others, one of the Darkhounds suddenly collapsed to the ground, staggering up only to collapse again as thick bars of air struck at its head.

Tallanvor, a gawping spectator to the fight, shook himself together and quickly ushered Jania and the children away. Aviendha and Enaila hesitated, the Aiel reluctant to flee from a battle even when they stood no chance.

"Come on!" Tallanvor roared as lightning and fire burst into the clearing. Another gust of wind soared in, and explosions marred the background as Alanna and the Green Man used their powers to fight the almost invincible Darkhounds. Together, the group fled to from the clearing.

* * *

"You came. I am pleased." Slayer drawled, one gloved hand on his sword hilt while the other held something. Rand tried to get a look at the item, and Slayer noticed and proudly revealed it. It was a circular disc, with the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai imprinted on the front. 

"This is one of the seals of the Great Lord's prison." Slayer boasted and Rand flinched as if he had been struck. There were seven legendary seals that held the Dark One in Shayol Ghul, and the Dark had one of them.

"Are you really my Uncle?" Rand asked the question that had been burning inside of him.

"I was your mothers brother." Slayer answered, his lips curved lightly as if recalling something funny. "Tigraine was a stubborn woman, you take after her."

"Why did you send Shadowspawn after me?" Rand asked, his mind burning that name into his thoughts. His mother's first name was Tigraine, not Shaiel.

"You are _ta'veren_," Slayer said scornfully. "Do you know what that is? The Wheel of time weaves life-threads, perhaps all of them, in favour of you to weave a web of destiny. And you are powerful, not as powerful as you will be when you grow older, but powerful nonetheless. If a _ta'veren _such as yourself were to join the Shadow…"

"What?" Rand interrupted angrily. "I will never join the shadow!"

Slayer nodded impatiently. "I know that now. You stood near the tunnel of enlightenment, where men and women are able to communicate to the Dark One. For a moment, the Great Lord quested to your mind. But you did not let him in, you were unable to let him in and commit yourself to the cause, you are bound to the Wheel of Time to resist and to fight. So now, you must die."

With movements that rivalled a Myrddraal, Slayer surged forward as he dropped the Seal, his sword flicking from his scabbard, and Rand ran forward to meet him. The blades clashed once, twice, thrice, as the swordsmen fought. Slayer was a Blademaster; Rand was certain of it, as the two fought, flowing through the forms as they dodged and spun around, blades clashing.

"I would attempt to sway you to the dark, but you would never join," Slayer said calmly as the two locked swords, both straining to push the other away. "If you surrender now, your death will be quick and swift. You will never defeat me, I have been given powers from the Great Lord that men dream of when they feal weak! I draw from His own magnificent power, so like yet different from the One Power! I draw mere droplets, yet it is enough to kill any man!"

As to prove his point, black tendrils suddenly shot from his left hand as he held the sword with his right. They were oily and black, evil and tainted and they hit him. Rand suddenly felt something strike him in the stomach and he grunted in pain, but stood strong. A second blow slashed his shoulders, and Rand felt warm blood trickle down his back. With a burst of strength, Rand pushed the other sword away and swung with his fist. It connected and Slayer staggered back, one hand to his bleeding nose.

"I will make your death slow and painful!" He hissed, his words a promise. He lifted his sword with his right hand, his left hand outstretched in front of him. Oily black tendrils of power surged from his fingertips, the pure evil and taint that Rand could feel almost making him sick.

Rand let out a strangled gasp, his back against a wall as he stepped back, his sword held out in front of him. He slashed at the tendrils feebly and was surprised when his blade sliced through them cleanly. The broken remnants of black power faded as both Rand and Slayer stared at the sword.

"A power-wrought sword, it must be." Slayer muttered. "How fortunate for you. Already you manipulate the Wheel of Time to bend to you when you need it to."

Rand said nothing as he gripped his sword with both hands, his feet moving into an offensive stance without him barely knowing it. The void pulsed in his mind, all emotion fed into the flame. But something lurked at the edge of his Void, near the broken chain that once let him channel. Rand could almost feel it; it was warm and full of light, eager to be summoned. But something stopped him; he couldn't reach out to it. There was no link between him and the light.

Slayer raised his hand again, another set of oily black tendrils firing out. Rand expertly slashed at them; River meets Cliff letting the fall swiftly. Eagle Soars saw another set of tendrils fade away as the sword swung gracefully to meet them.

The Slayer roared in anger as he jumped forward, his power forgotten as he swung his sword wildly. The two men met, swords flying about as they clashed. Whenever Slayers sword hit Rand's, a faded black aura would flicker into view, blue lightning cackling between the blades. Any other manmade blade would have chipped and blunted as Rand's sword struck Slayers like a hammer, Hammer meets Anvil forcing the Darkfriend back.

Suddenly a rumble ran through the ground and the sounds of explosions, dull roars in the background, could be heard. Slayer stepped backwards, smiling evilly as his dark blue eyes glinted.

"That would be the Aes Sedai vainly trying to combat my Darkhounds," He said. His eyes suddenly appeared like campfires, terrible power and evil rushing into them. His open mouth suddenly radiated searing heat and Rand dove to the side as an arc of oily black power sliced into the floor where he had been standing. It continued, slashing into the wall and breaking long and glowing crystals, as another one burst from the black aura that surrounded Slayer. Rand sidestepped, his hand reaching for one of his knives. He threw it with all the force he could muster as a third arc whizzed by.

Slayer waved his hand impatiently and a black tendril zapped forward, striking the spinning knife from the air. There was a smell of ozone and fire as the knife clattered to the ground, half melted. Slayer looked furious though, his eyes glittering as he curved his fingers and aimed them at Rand. Suddenly purple and black power that coursing and filthy, terrible and great, searing and akin to lightning, erupted. Rand bought his sword up and gave a cry in pain as the power struck the sword. He could feel tingles of the power cackle on his skin, leaving blisters and charred skin. But the sword held back the evil power, glowing and vibrating madly. For a moment, Rand thought he would drop it but he firmed his grip.

"You will be destroyed!" Slayer bellowed, once again his voice sounding like two. The power increased, the air filled with wild dark purple and black energy. Rand held the sword and felt himself get pushed back, his feet automatically stepping back as he leaned on the sword as much as he could. For a moment, he felt cold fear vibrate on the edge of his void but he forced it away. He was emotionless, he was calm and he was in control. The Void held him, giving him the strength to ignore the burns on his arms and face as he was pushed back.

Suddenly his back hit a wall. He could feel crystals pierce his skin, his blood dripping on the ground as he slumped to the ground, forced by the wall of unbreakable power. His sword wavered and wobbled as he first crouched, then sat as power was channelled around him. It stopped suddenly and Rand's sword glowed briefly as it repulsed the last of the tainted energy. He was exhausted, Light, he was exhausted.

Slayer also seemed tired, his head between his knees as he bent over, panting and wheezing loudly. His eyes were still fires, so bright and burning, and his mouth was curved in a mocking smile.

"I am far more powerful than you are!" Slayer hissed between pants and gasps for air.

Rand said nothing, groaning slightly as he tried to stand up. His limbs were heavy and aching, as if he had been running all day. He staggered to a crouch, his sword held limply in one hand. With forced slow movements, he threw another knife at Slayer, who used his sword to bat it away. The Darkfriend seemed to be regaining his strength as his eyes burned in an unholy light, walking forward slowly but firmly. Rand felt the ground for something to use, anything to use, and found one of the broken crystals. For a moment, Rand saw the light that glowed inside move as it fell from the cracks and into his bare hand. Power surged through him, weak power but power! Light filled him briefly as he hurled the light at Slayer, who ducked quickly as a streak of light burst from Rand's palm. The streak sizzled the air, burning past Slayer and impacting on the wall of the cavern, which exploded in a shower of rocks and left a small crater behind.

Rand froze as realisation swept through him, and Slayer seemed to think the same thing that he did. As Rand scooped up another puddle of glowing crystal light, he hurled it at Slayer as he dove for the Eye of the World. Slayer surged forward, the streak exploding in a shower of light and pure energy as Rand strained to reach for the liquid _Saidin. _His sword, held in his right hand, touched it first and Rand could suddenly feel every particle of the sword, every single atom and molecule that made it up. The sword was alive in his arm, connecting him with the light in his mind.

In the void, Rand sought the light and surged forward, embracing it instinctively. For a moment, he was in an avalanche of chaos and power, almost stumbling over. He fought for control, exhaustion meaning nothing as he gripped the power firmly. His left hand rose as Slayer raised both hands.

From Slayers hand came the purple and black power, cackling madly and wildly as Slayer desperately tried to stop Rand. A surge of energy burned through Rand, channelled through the sword as liquid _Saidin _floated into him. A weave of glowing threads, some red, blue and white, appeared from his left hand. Instinctively, Rand added a touch of yellow and brown and tied them all together, letting _Saidin _fill the glowing weave. Pure white energy cackled from his hands, lightning meeting lightning in a spectacular show of lights and power. Purple and Black energy met white, and the lights flared as they fought against each other.

For a moment, the struggle was deadlocked as the powers clashed wildly. But Rand's soon pushed away the evil and tainted powers, and Slayer gave a wild scream of desperation, sounding more like a wolf than a man. An arc of oily black power erupted from Slayers body, and Rand felt a flash of fear before he threw _Saidin _at it. A glowing blue circle, spinning rapidly from his body, shot forward. Both the arc and the circle exploded in a violent burst of energy and a wall crumbled from the after-effects, crystals falling to the ground and shattering. Another arc and another circle clashed, before tendrils of power shot towards Rand, swerving to avoid the clashing lights and powers in the middle of the two men. As the tendrils shot forward, Rand lunged out with his mind, and they suddenly withered and disappeared as he _sliced _through them with a single thought. A cylinder of flames suddenly appeared in the middle of the room as Rand though of killing Slayer, a high-pitched whine increasing in volume and pitch.

Slayer yelled something, a curse most likely, and as he was forced back another few steps closer to the curved wall as a solid dark glob of power surrounded him, distorting his features. The cylinder suddenly roared as it exploded, the fire spilling from its confines. Rand could feel a terrible heat that he ignored as the flames charred the floor and roof, but they were snuffed out as they touched the black power that Slayer held. The floor rumbled from the explosion, and for a moment Rand wobbled over the edge of the Eye of the World. He managed a single last burst of energy before he lost his balance, his fingers gripping something hard as he tried to hold onto it. But the object was not bound to the floor and he toppled in headfirst in the _Saidin. _

Light filled him, if he had though that the power that burned within him was grand, than this was unlimited. He was invincible, unstoppable. Power washed over his skin and his body, his nose easily able to breath. As he fought for control of the power, the void wavered several times. The power was too much! He was losing control! Suddenly, Rand felt the void slip from him and the power washed over his mind. In his eyes, a brilliant white light filled his vision and his mind slipped away as he sank to the bottem.

* * *

Lightning and fire burst upon the Green Man's gardens. Balls of blue flames destroyed trees; plants were incinerated into cinder by blasts of lightning. Still, the Darkhounds lived. No Aes Sedai had fought Darkhounds since the Trolloc Wars almost two thousand years ago, and few had survived to tell the tale. Those few who had survived, none had ever killed one before, let alone three. 

Still, Alanna was an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, the Ajah that was always prepared for War and the Final Battle. She knew powerful weaves of war and destruction and she was using every single on of them.

An arc of lightning burst from Alanna's hand, flickering and glowing as it seared the air. The Darkhound dodged the blast and leapt forward, only to be suddenly be yanked from the air as a large root burst from the already cracked and broken ground. Tendrils of smoke and the smell of burning wood joined the smell of ozone and smoke in the air as the root withered. The Green Man flicked his hand and the root slammed the Darkhound into the ground, once, twice and again before the root crumbled into dead ash, life draining from it by the poisonous odour of the Darkhound. A mere drop of saliva from a Darkhound touching the strongest man in the world would kill him painfully, and this was not taking into account of an actual biting.

The Green Man roared, the wind roaring with him, and vines, weeds and fungi burst on a Darkhound. They withered and died as soon as they appeared, but the Darkhound howled with fury, while Alanna raised her hand. The weave of the most forbidden weapon of the One Power was formed and Alanna sent it hurling at the third Darkhound, who had just jumped for her throat with gleaming teeth.

From her hand, a bar of white-hot liquid fire erupted. The bar shimmered and glowed as it burst onto the Darkhound and for a moment the Darkhound appeared to turn into mist, before it was swallowed by the white-hot bar, liquid fire continuing on and searing a trench in the ground, disappearing as it ate up two trees.

The other Darkhound suddenly hesitated, just as the Green Man raised a tired hand. His own special powers of life coming into bear, a gigantic wind picked up and snagged the two Darkhounds in a tornado. Leaves, dirt, dust, smoke and flames tumbled in the air as they circled frantically, colliding with one another. The Green Man stood still and strong, holding the tornado for a minute as Alanna hurled fire and lightning at it, dirt exploding in violent fountains as the ground rumbled. When the tornado died down, the Darkhounds were gone. No trace of them remained and Alanna sighed in relief.

She still embraced _Saidar _as she collapsed to the ground, bone-deep exhaustion flitting in her mind. Also, a strange power floated at the edge of her consciousness…an avalanche of chaotic tumbling that threatened to overwhelm anybody who dared try use it. In the middle of this power, Alanna could feel Rand's determination, anger and fear.

"They are gone," The Green Man said, looking exhausted and ancient. The scar on his face was tight around his features as he stared grimly at the destruction of the battles. "Such a loss of life. Beautiful trees, three thousand years old. They were my friends, I sang them to life and nurtured them in growth."

Suddenly a violent explosion erupted at a small hill deep within the Eye of the World, and for a moment Alanna felt an unbearable wave of power sweep through the Warder Bond. She screamed in agony, clutching her head in her hands as the power raged and stormed. Fear ran through her, before it was suddenly snapped shut and the bond collapsed, leaving Alanna shaking and crying on the ground, the Green Man crouching next to her.

"No!" Alanna whispered in agony. "No, not again!"

"What is it?" The Green Man asked, anger and determination still in his voice.

Alanna felt a great loss; so different from the power and strength she had been feeling before. In vain, she tried to scrabble for Rand, but he was gone from her mind. "He is dead!" She breathed.

The Green Man looked startled, before sadness filled his features. "No," he whispered in dread. "It cannot be!"

"I can't feel him!" Alanna said hysterically as she started running for the cavern. The Green Man stood still as rage poured into him, anger twisting his peaceful features. With a blur, he grabbed Alanna and sped towards the Eye of the World.

* * *

Slayer panted in exhaustion and weariness, the Darkfriend on his hands and knees. Walls of crystals lay scorched and broken, craters hollowed out in several of them. Shards of rocks and crystals littered the ground, and a large hole was in the narrow pathway that curved the Eye of the World, which had been reduced in size. The boy was dead; nobody could have survived falling into liquid power like that. But he was not far from death; his body pained and exhausted, his mind doubly so. The burning addictive power of the Dark One held a high price for its use, insanity and mutations being the major. 

As a blur speed into the room, stopping suddenly to reveal the Green Man and the Aes Sedai, the Slayer looked up, smiling viciously despite his tiredness and powerless condition.

"He is dead!" He spat, and used the last of his powers to surround himself into shadows and disappear.

* * *

"Where is Lord Rand?" Huin asked Alanna as she approached them at the end of the Green Man's garden. Her face looked as if it could have been carved from stone, her eyes stony and dull. 

Tallanvor also looked anxious at the response, his sword out as he leant against a tree. "We saw lightning and fire and heard explosions." He remarked, a little awe struck at the Aes Sedai.

Aviendha and Enaila leaned forward as Alanna opened her mouth, their expressions intent and demanding. Jania, the unofficial leader of the children, rubbed her hands nervously as she awaited an answer.

"Rand al'Thor has fallen," Alanna whispered hoarsely, her throat raw from crying. She had no more tears to spill; she was numb to the world. "He is dead."

Huin flinched as if he had been struck, the sword wavering in his hands, as his eyes got wide. Tallanvor made a grunted noise, his expression stricken and shocked. Enaila dropped her head remorsefully but no tears appeared in her eyes. To her, Rand had awoken from the dream of life.

Aviendha suddenly dropped her spear, her blue-green eyes furious. "Do not lie!" She hissed as she advanced on Alanna. Alanna just stared at her so blankly and lost that she froze in mid-step as horror dawned on her face. She looked stricken, her mouth working furiously.

"It cannot be!" She whispered hoarsely as Jania started to sob. "He cannot be dead!"

"He is. I cannot feel him…I felt the warder bond snap as pure power destroyed him from the inside." Alanna said. She swayed on her feet and Tallanvor shook himself from his daze, quickly helping her stand. "Come, we can leave now. The Green Man will take us fifty leagues from Fal Dara."

"Why?" Aviendha said, snorting slightly through watery eyes. "You are Wetlanders, we came for the son of Shaiel."

"There is a Trolloc army that is approaching Tarwin's gap." Alanna said firmly, trying to draw herself up regally but failing miserably. "It will break through and destroy Shienar if we do not warn them."

"The swords of Andor will ride with Shienar." Tallanvor said grimly. His eyes held a fevered hate within them. "I will lead them myself if I have to."

Aviendha hesitated, but nodded slowly as she picked up her spear. "I…I will take what has happened here and bring it to the Wise Ones. Maybe the spears of the Aiel will join your…swords." She said the last word with disgust. "But we will go our own way."

Enaila nodded, the redhead checking her arrows.

"Huin?" Tallanvor asked. "Huin? Answer me?"

Huin shook himself out of his daze, his eyes lost and confused. "How could he be dead?" He asked softly.

Tallanvor grimaced as Alanna heaved a dry sob at the question. "Take care of Jania and the others." He ordered gently. The man blinked, but he nodded as he made his way to the crying Jania. As the group took a step away from the garden, they seemed to walk into a dark forest with twisted trees. The sun was barely up but they were out of the Blight.

* * *

The Green Man stroked a small sapling softly, crooning in a language long dead as it took root and grew. It kept growing until it was bigger than the Nym itself and branches shot out, thick green leaves taking life. The Green Man smiled softly, pleased at the new life he had created and stepped back to observe his work. A single tree stood in the centre of death and destruction. It grew on blackened ground that would never grow again unless the Green Man willed it so. For a moment, the Green Man though about banishing the death that lay here unbidden and unchecked. 

"No," The Green Man said as the wind blew in the trees. "A fitting memorial, for one I will never forget,"


	16. Interlude: News, Battles and Revival

**_Light filled him. Blazing warmth, searing heat hotter than anything he had felt before…He? Who was he? What was he? Light, pure light and heat, like gigantic furnaces…

* * *

_**

_One Month Later_

Captain Tallanvor knelt down on his knee, his hand on the hilt of the sword strapped to his belt and his eyes lowered as he knelt before the Queen of Andor, Morgase of the House of Trakand. She was a beautiful woman dressed in a blue dress, silver threads sewn in beautifully as they gave the Queen an exotic air to her. Right now her face was serene and calm, like the calm before the storm. She sat on her golden throne, the Lion throne that all Queens sat on. She waved him up and Tallanvor stood, his back straight

Standing next to her was Gareth Byrne, a man with hard eyes and greying hair, while sitting on her left was Elaida, the Queens Aes Sedai advisor and on her right was Elayne, dressed as finely as the Queen was in blue skirts and a fur scarf.

"I am interested to know why you were in Shienar in the first place? And how you came upon this information about this army of Trollocs." Morgase said calmly, her head held high.

Gareth Byrne shifted at her side, while her daughter gripped the arms of her chair tightly, her face blank. Tallanvor had been bought straight to the Queen when he had arrived back in Caemlyn with his horsemen and had immediately reported the imminent danger.

"My Queen, I ordered Captain Tallanvor to depart to Shienar to retrieve a Queens Guard named Rand al'Thor. If you may recall, Rand al'Thor was once…" Gareth began.

"I know who Rand al'Thor is Gareth." Morgase cut in sharply and Gareth bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Light knows how many rumours and stories have surrounded him since the Myrddraal attacked my daughter. Walk into one bar and he fought and killed half a dozen Fades, walk into another and he is actually a Royal Prince of the Throne."

"She will be a powerful Aes Sedai, as powerful as any in one thousand years." Elaida said absently as she bent over in her knitting. "The shadow will, of course, fear her."

Morgase compressed her lips but nodded at Elaida's words. "Why did you seek out Rand al'Thor?" She asked Gareth.

Gareth opened his mouth as Elayne cut in hurriedly, her hands folded in her lap submissively and her head bent. "I asked him to, Mother." She spoke timidly. Her eyes were anything but timid, shining with defiance and determination.

Morgase gave a twisted file, her face filled with amusement and resignation. "Elayne, you should…oh, what some women will do for the men they love."

"Mother!" Elayne squeaked out, her cheeks flushing as she darted her eyes around nervously. They came to rest on Tallanvor, who flinched as he averted his own. Guilt ran through him, guilt and sadness for Elayne. Elayne noticed his expression and her blush faded, her face growing pale. Her hands clutched the armrests of her chair as she leant forward, wide eyes boring at Tallanvor.

"Where is he?" She asked calmly.

Tallanvor closed his eye, dropping his head and the expression of grief on his face made the news clear enough. Elayne leant back, her hands covering her mouth as horror and misery filled her eyes and face.

"No!" She whispered hoarsely.

"My Lady, Lord Rand al'Thor fell in combat against the Shadow." Tallanvor informed gravely.

Tears filled Elayne's eyes as Gareth and Morgase looked upon her with sympathy alight on their faces.

"Elayne, perhaps you should go to your rooms. I will send Mistress Lini to…" Morgase started gently, her eyes regarding her daughter with pity and sympathy.

"What happened?" Elayne whispered to Tallanvor. She struggled to keep her calm composure as she breathed in deeply, squaring her shoulders as she gazed upon Tallanvor with barely concealed grief.

Morgase and Gareth turned to Tallanvor, even Elaida looked up sharply from her knitting, her hands still.

"My Lady, it is a strange tale but bare with me. I swear that it is true, on my honour as a Queens Man. It all started when I discovered that Lord Rand…"

"Lord Rand?" Morgase asked sharply. "Had the boy became a Lord when I was not looking?"

"My Queen, a friend of mine once said that it is ones actions that show Lordship. All of the Noble Houses started off as soldiers, or farmers, or men and women who did something incredible. Rand al'Thor was a Lord." Tallanvor said firmly.

Morgase nodded slowly, gesturing for Tallanvor to continue. He opened his mouth, the sound of his own voice filling the void of silence for hours to come.

* * *

**_Time must have passed…vague and unsettling thoughts flashed through him…Light, terrible and burning light…an avalanche of power…adrift in a sea…warmth, the brilliant warmth…_**

**

* * *

**

"He is dead?" Amys asked sharply. The blistering heat lingered in the air as the sun set slowly across the west, the last rays on sunlight still hot enough to burn most Wetlanders. Aviendha and Enaila stood stiffly in front of Amys and Melanie, two influential Wise Ones, and at least a hundred of women, all Maidens of the Spear.

After leaving the Blight from the Green Man's garden, Aviendha and Enaila had met up with their other travelling companions and had journeyed back past the Spine of the World and into the Aiel Waste.

"He fell in the Bringer of Life's gardens, fighting powerful enemies with awesome powers." Enaila said. The redhead was strangely subdued for one with such a temper, but Aviendha was the worse. At times she was be meek and quiet, not talking unless she was spoken to, at other times she was as fierce as a Wise One and a tongue that would carve into the ego's of the biggest and grandest kings in history.

"Our brother is dead? Our son is dead?" Sulin, a white haired Maiden of the Spear with a scar on her face asked slowly.

"Leafblighters army is led by the one who killed him. The army is large, Shadowrunners and Shadowbeasts in numbers of million. The one who killed Rand will lead the army to the nation of Shienar, crushing them easily. Leafblighter will rule the wetlands." Enaila explained.

Sulin looked startled for a moment, her sun-tanned face frowning. Clearly she was weighing the options, Wetlanders ruling the wetlands of Leafblighter ruling the wetland. But the man leading the army killed the only son of the Maidens to have ever returned. Slowly, she drummed her spear on her buckler. Another joined her, and another and another, and soon the camp was filled with the booming beat of spears crashing against bucklers.

Amys raised her hand and the noise quietened instantly, her eyes still fixed on Aviendha and Enaila. "You two. Tell me…tell us all what happened."

Aviendha spoke up for the first time, her green-blue eyes emotionless. "We tracked him to the Wetlander nation of Shienar, in the trees of the north…"

* * *

**_Where was he? What was he? Who was he? Light…there was so much light…and heat…there was heat and warmth and light…burning light…_**

**

* * *

**

"Daddy!"

"Jania!"

Lord Dremenden looked up from the Lord's table at Fal Dara and jumped from his seat, bounding down and taking giant leaps forward as a small red blur zoom forward, crashing into him and grabbing him around the neck. The next moment, Lord Dremenden crushed the small body of his daughter to his chest as he lifted her up from the ground, whirling her around as he smiled through tears of joy.

"Oh Jania! My precious Jania!" Lord Dremenden howled in glee. "You're alive!"

Jania said nothing, her face buried in her fathers shoulder as she cried, sobbing and wailing as it all came out of her. She was safe now; she was back with her father.

Lord Agelmar watched with a satisfied and beaming smile, standing up as he gazed upon the site of his dear friend reunited with his daughter. The other Lords and Ladies stood as well, applauding with cheers and yells of congratulations and happiness as Lady Dremenden rushed down to her daughter, her poise forgotten as she enveloped both Lord Dremenden with a bone crushing hug.

Lord Dremenden didn't know how long he held his daughter and wife in the middle of the floor with the applauds of the other nobles, but he finally stood back as he gazed at the frail and sickly form of his daughter.

"We will have to fatten you up," He teased Jania, who said nothing as she lay in her mothers arms. He noticed Huin slink through the doors, his faithful tracker and armsmen and with a huge smile he grabbed the man by the shoulders, laughing widely.

"You did it!" He yelled happily, mirth and joy in his voice. "I shall give you anything you want, anything? But first, where is Lord al'Thor?"

Huin looked uncomfortable as he flinched, stepping back as if he had been struck. "Um...Lord Dremenden, Lord Rand…um…well…he's dead." He stammered out, grief pouring into his face.

Lord Dremenden stood still, bowing his head. "The man gave his life to save my daughter…"

"And Jack, and Irvine and Katalia!" Jania said, her voice muffled though her mother's breast as she curled up like an infant.

"My Lord, maybe you should hear the whole story. It is…strange; I can't believe we went through it. But it was Lord Rand who did most of it…no, My Lord, I need to tell you what happened?"

"Sit in my seat." Lord Dremenden urged, pushing the man forward to the table with the nobles. Huin squirmed under so many expectant gazes as he was forced to sit down in his Lord's chair. "I will stand, and tonight, I will wait on you as you tell me how my daughter was saved…"

* * *

_**A single thread was all that held him up…deep-seated warmth that filled the core of his bones… Brilliant and blinding Light…erasing everything else…**_

* * *

Alanna walked through the bustling town of Tar Valon, her footsteps automatic as her mind wandered. The hollow loss in her mind was almost unbearable, threatening to overwhelm her at anytime. Three Warder bonds all forcibly severed would have driven a lesser woman insane or into a blubbering mess, but Alanna would not rest until she had seen the Amyrilan Seat. 

She approached the White Tower and nearly collapsed with relief and exhaustion. The looming white building cast a strong presence on Alanna, and she lurched wearily to the gates. The Tower Guards eyed her suspiciously but her face and ring let her pass though they wrinkled their noses in disgust at her appearance.

Alanna looked down at herself. Her green silks were green no longer, covered in dirt, grime, dried blood, and torn and ripped badly. Her hair was a mess, covered in muck, and her face was gritty. She walked through the gardens, heading for the main buildings.

"Alanna?" asked a cautious voice. Alanna turned her head to see Estelle, an Aes Sedai of the green Ajah with golden hair and firm blue eyes approach her cautiously. "Alanna? Light, it is you! What happened? Where are Owein and Ihvon?"

"They're dead," Alanna mumbled. "All dead. All three of them, killed by the shadow."

"Oh Alanna," Estelle murmured in horror. Next to her, a large well-built man stood silently, but his face showed brief sadness as the mention of the dead warders. Estelle's Warder and Alanna's Warders had been close friends.

"I need to see the Amyrilan," Alanna said as Estelle lead her into the building.

"First let's get you washed up," Estelle said firmly as she directed Alanna to the dormitories. A passing pair of novices eyed her curiously and one had a look of revulsion on her face as Alanna passed.

Estelle noticed this and scowled at the two, and they dropped curtsies hurriedly, their heads down until the two Aes Sedai had passed.

"No…the Amyrilan…" Alanna protested feebly as Estelle entered a room. A large bed lay in the centre of it and an adjoining room led off into an empty bathtub.

"Devron, get the servants to get warm water in here." Estelle said to her Warder, who left quickly as Estelle held Alanna, who shivered.

"They died Estelle. Owein died to a creature, some kind of large cat…the Blight changed it, made it powerful and deadly. I felt the teeth that bit into him, the claws that sliced into his skin. Ihvon died to a Myrddraal, it just cut him down with a single stroke. I felt that too. I wonder if his soul will enter the Wheel of Time properly. He died so close to Shayol Ghul, I fear that the Dark One could harm his soul."

Estelle stared at her friend, her face surprised and shocked as Alanna blubbered on. Four servants entered the room holding a bucket of steaming water in each hand. As they tipped the water into the bath, Alanna continued ranting.

"Have you ever seen Shayol Ghul Estelle? I know that in our oath of the Green Ajah, we are to be prepared for the Final Battle at Shayol Ghul, but how can we win? The buildings we can destroy, there are little defences. But the feeling, the aura, the sheer evil the emanates from the mountain…"

One of the servants, a pale slender girl, dropped one of the empty buckets, staring at Alanna with fear and shock.

"Leave!" Estelle barked angrily at the servants. They hurried from the room, the bath full with water.

"Rand…he didn't fall to the end. I wondered if it was a mistake bonding him…but in the end, it didn't matter. Power, so much power flowed through him at the end. It was an avalanche of power and all he could do was cling to the roots as it dragged him in. He tried to hold on, but he couldn't and then he was gone."

Estelle made soothing noises as she bathed Alanna. Dirt and grime turned the water dark and filthy, but Estelle used the One Power to cleanse it and dry Alanna's hair as she brushed it back.

Alanna leant back, her eyes closed as she rested. The exhaustion was in her bones, she needed to rest. But…

"I need to see the Amyrilan." Alanna said, her dark eyes opening. They bore into Estelle's, and they glinted with panic and resolve as she struggled up.

"Alright. Let's get dressed first, then we shall see the Amyrilan." Estelle said soothingly.

Ten minutes later, a cleanly washed and dressed Alanna approached the double doors of the study of the Amyrilan Seat. Alanna ignored the Keeper of Chronicles, who tried to stop them from entering. She barged in, and the Amyrilan looked up from her desk.

"Daughter, what is the meaning of this?" She demanded.

"Mother, I have urgent news. A host of Trollocs, a size not seen since the Trolloc Wars, is coming for Tarwin's Gap. There are at least a million, Mother. I need to tell you, to warn you!"

The Amyrilan eyed her shrewdly as Estelle hurried in, followed by the Keeper of the Chronicles.

"Mother," Estelle bowed. "I found her entering the White Tower, dirty and bloodied. I washed her and clothed her but she insisted in coming to you."

"So I see." The Amyrilan remarked dryly. "Tell me Daughter," she said as she focused back on Alanna. "How did you come by this information?

"I saw the army leave Shayol Ghul itself." Alanna replied tiredly. She seemed to be swaying on her feet.

"Shayol Ghul?" The Amyrilan remarked sharply and not it a little amazement. "How did you come to be at that foul place?"

Alanna took a deep breath, ignoring her tiredness as she opened her mouth. Once she had told her story, then she could rest.

* * *

_Three Months Later

* * *

_

_**There were nine threads that tied him from the Light…burning and beautiful, searing yet blissfully intoxicating…warmth, beautiful and seductive warmth…It will take time…Light, oh, the endless sea of light!**_

_**

* * *

**_

"A million Trollocs," Lord Agelmar said grimly. "We are doomed."

Lord Dremenden, who had been standing silently at his friend's side within the sunlight of Fal Dara, spoke up. ""We have fortified the Towers at Tarwin's gap."

"It will not be enough," Agelmar sighed wearily, the grey in his hair even more pronounced these days.

"We have two hundred thousand men guarding the Towers, with seventy thousand horses." Lord Dremenden informed Agelmar grimly. "Only a scattering remains in Shienar."

"My Lord?" A grey robed servant called as he approached Lord Agelmar. "There is an Andorran by the name of Lieutenant-Captain Tallanvor asking for you?"

"Was he not the one who accompanied Lord Rand into the Blight to rescue your daughter?" Agelmar asked Dremenden, who nodded. "Very well, bring him to me," He ordered the servant.

A few minutes later, the servant returned with a man of average height. His armour gleamed in the sunlight and two golden knots adorned his shoulders.

"I am Lieutenant-Captain Tallanvor, My Lords." Tallanvor greeted as he bowed. "By the order of Queen Morgase, Queen of Andor, I am to approach Lord Agelmar with an offer of one hundred thousand men in order to defend Tarwin's gap from the host of Trollocs that are making their way towards it."

Lord Agelmar and Lord Dremenden exchanged startled looks, just as the servant returned, appearing flustered.

"Ah…My Lord? There is a women that has claimed…" He started, just as a short woman with black tresses and dark eyes approached, dressed in fine green silks. She held herself regally and her face had the look of agelessness to it.

"I am Alanna, of the Green Ajah." She introduced herself. "By the order of the Amyrilan Seat of the White Tower, I am here to inform Lord Agelmar that three hundred of my Sisters and twenty thousand of the Tower Guard will be fortifying Tarwin's gap in response to information of a large Trolloc host approaching."

Lord Agelmar and Lord Dremenden exchanged another set of startled looks, but hope had refilled thier eyes.

* * *

_Eight Months since the death of Rand al'Thor

* * *

_

_**It was a rope now…all tightly joined and bound…his mind was held back from the Light…**burning…blinding…searing heat…**He knew his name…Rand al'Thor…**bones warmed from the chill…intoxicating and seductive…compulsive…swallow it all, take it all in…**what had happened? It was blurry…his mind wandered…there was something here with him…smooth stone clutched in one hand, an object in the other…**Power, so much power…Invincible, immortal…challenge the Creator…challenge the Dark One…the brilliant and beautiful light…**Smooth symbols…runes of some sort…at the bottom of the Eye…What if he…

* * *

**_

Slayer grunted in acknowledgment as a Trolloc cowered at the entrance of his tent. Trollocs were lazy creatures, only ever killing with enthusiasm. They would only grovel and obey when they feared the one giving the orders. Myrddraal worked well enough for that, but the Trollocs could sense the Great Lord's touch in Slayer and feared him almost as much as Ba'alzamon himself.

"The world will be mine!" Slayer hissed to himself as he tugged on a black glove. For a moment, he stared into the mirror in his luxurious tent. His reflection stared back at him and Slayer let a loose smile curve on his lips. It had taken a long time to recover from the incident at the Eye of the World. He had drawn more of the True Source, the essence of the Great Lord, than he had ever done so before, and his body had paid the price. And the _Saidin _that al'Thor had wielded had not helped at all.

But he had recovered now, his body in prime health. He didn't know what side effects he had been warned about when he had been given the power to draw from the True Source. He was perfectly sane and healthy. For a moment, the mirrors face curved into a mask of animalistic rage and furnaces burnt in its eyes. Slayer growled angrily and slammed his fist into the glass, which shattered.

He ignored the blood that dripped from his hand as he walked from his tent. He had just taught that fool a lesson, now he would teach those who dare oppose the Great Lord a similar lesson, by crushing them with his hands.

"Myrddraal, are the ranks formed?" He asked in the silent breeze.

Ranks upon ranks upon ranks of Trollocs stood dead still, hundreds of thousands of them in formation. At the rear, another four hundred thousand waited in reserve, black-cloaked Myrddraal sitting on black stallions.

"Yes, My Lord," One Myrddraal said in a hissing voice, low and deep.

"Charge." Slayer said, smiling slightly as the Myrddraal leading each battalion started galloping ahead, hordes of Trollocs bellowing war cries as their banners flew in the air. Swarms of them sprinted as fast as any horse, guttural growls leaping from their throats as they stormed out of the valley in one giant flood of bodies and steel, swarming into Tarwin's gap and in sight the seven towers that stood erect at the battlements on the other side of the gap.

Slayer smirked darkly, lazily stretching his arms as he considered going back inside and finishing off his wine. Suddenly he stiffened as he whirled around, his head facing the faint forms of the last of the Trollocs going over the rocky hills.

"No!" He hissed angrily.

* * *

"Archers, prepare to fire!" Gareth Byrne yelled from atop the largest tower of the fort at Tarwin's Gap. Archers had formed ranks behind the large stonewalls, with pikeman standing guard. There were tens of thousands of archers and tens of thousands of pikeman. It was the largest army of men that the world had seen for a thousand years. 

"Archers, nock your bows!" Lord Agelmar roared, standing next to the Andorran Captain-General. Lancers, the Shienar name for horseman carrying wicked barbed spears, grouped in the front of the walls, armour gleaming brightly as they stared emotionless at the charging horse. Aes Sedai stood in clustered groups in all of the towers, exactly thirty-nine Aes Sedai on each tower, linking as they embraced _Saidar. _Three groups of thirteen Aes Sedai on each tower channelled, linking with each other. The swarm of Trollocs swallowed the bare earth as they grew closer and closer, until the first of them were in archer range.

"Fire!" Lord Agelmar and Gareth Byrne yelled in once voice, their voices repeated by the officers down below.

From behind the walls came a gigantic wall of arrows, shot over the walls and into the air. They soared upwards and upwards, gaining height until they all seemed to freeze in the air. A dark shadow passed over Tarwin's gap, the flood of arrows blotting out the sun, before the descended as gravity took hold of them.

* * *

Slayer watched far away from a small hill as the first wave of arrows descended. Thousands of Trollocs died instantly and he growled angrily, his rage growing every second. 

"This wasn't mean to be like this!" He howled, his voice taking on the sounds of two. Suddenly realisation flooded into him and he stopped moving, his face contorted with rage. "Rand al'Thor! This is his doing! He bent the pattern…Damn him! The Great deliver agony onto your soul, al'Thor!"

Clouds grew overhead, dark billowy clouds appearing from nowhere. Lightning flashed once as thunder shot through the air, a light rain starting to fall. Slayer ignored the rain as lightning bolts burst from the clouds, one after the other. Trollocs fell, struck by the powerful energy, while a second volley of arrows struck the next ranks. Within seconds, over twenty thousand Trollocs were dead! Fireballs erupted from the towers, sometimes as large as a building, and they blasted the Trollocs apart. Earth rumbled and exploded violently in fountains of dirt as chasms appeared, flames flickering in the bottom of them. More Trollocs died, but they had gotten close enough to the fortress and ranks of horsemen charged down with their armoured horses and thick breastplates, carrying long lances. The arrows ceased as the horsemen broke apart the first rank of Trollocs. The sounds of fighting could be faintly heard from where Slayer was standing, and he clenched his fist as heat raced through him, addictive and overwhelming.

"Those blasted witches!" He snarled. "Myrddraal, send in the reserve Trollocs!"

The pounding ground indicated that his orders were being obeyed, but Slayer knew that he had lost this battel. Sure, he would kill thirty thousand men or so, maybe even an Aes Sedai or two, but he had lost. Damn that al'Thor! This wasn't mean to happen, the Aes Sedai were not meant to be here! The large numbers of men obviously waiting for him were not meant to be here!

As the four hundred thousand Trollocs charged up to their fighting comrades, grey forms flickered from the cliffs and spears slammed on bucklers. Aiel warriors, women and men, two hundred thousand of them, charged forward, roaring voices singing songs of war as spear clashed against sword.

Slayer closed his eyes in despair and anger. For half a moment, he though of going out there himself, but he quickly rejected the idea. The Aes Sedai were plentiful and would be able to sever his connection to the True Source if they saw him.

* * *

_Several Hours later

* * *

_

_**Smooth stone…runes…pillar of some sorts…**light…oh, the light…**destinations, places…good, away from here…**Warmth, muted and fading…**pouring energy into it…anywhere at all…**Light dimming…duller than before…**energy racing through him…odd hollow sensation…sucking feeling…body compressing…travelling…changing…leaving…

* * *

**_

Slayer stood alone on the hill. A million bodies littered Tarwin's gap, most of them were the bestial forms of Trollocs. Myrddraal bodies twitched as the sun started setting. But human bodies also lay on the ground, broken and beaten, some torn apart. He had suffered a great loss here.

"I was a fool!" He muttered outloud, his mind clear with clarity at the moment. "I was insane!" He snarled, trying to justify his failure. But he knew that the Great Lord would punish him for this.

* * *

On deserted grasslands, rich with plant life, the sun shone brightly as small clouds slowly blew through the deep blue sky. On the ground near a pillar of white stone with runes carved into it that glowed in a silver light, a boy about the age of seventeen lay on the ground. His shirt was torn, his pants ripped. Blood smeared his chest, two large gashes ripping into his skin. In one hand, he held a sword that was glowing with a silver light, the other, a small disc shaped item. Suddenly the boy gave a huge gasp for air, his grey eyes flicking open for a single second as his heart pounded, before they closed as he fell unconscious.

* * *

**A/N- not a very good Battle scene, but I'm tired and I couldn't be bothered writing it out. Still, it gets the point across. Andor, Shienar and the Aiel defeated the Trollocs at Tarwin's gap.**


	17. Caralain Grass: Tinkers and Books

**A/N- A few people have asked me...'What happened to the hammer?' Well, I had a very original and interesting plot device worked out for it, one that would have you shocked and surprised, especially when Rand used it against Slayer in the fight...but I trashed the idea. It was a little too complicated, even for me. He still has it though, you'll see in this chapter.**

**Tobang- One word to say to you regarding 1)- Oops? I've fixed it though...thanks for the warning.**

** Note: The chest containing the Horn of Valere, another Seal and the banner wasn't found...

* * *

**

Children ran through the deserted grasslands of Caralain Grass, near the river Arinelle. Wagons painted with a multitude of bright colours strolled slowly through the knee-deep grass, pulled by healthy mares. Laughter and giggling could be heard as a group of children scrambled from each other, diving into the grass. Large dogs panted happily as they scampered around with the children, excited yelps and howls bursting from their throats. As one group of children laughed and ran from another, a small boy with dark hair suddenly stumbled over a root. For a moment he wavered on the edge of a small hill, before he toppled over and splashed into the dark water of the river.

"Jarem!" One of the other children laughed wildly. "Is the water fine?"

Jarem scowled as he stood up, the water barely reaching his waist. He shook his head and droplets of water flew from his head. As he raked a hand through wet sopping hair, his eyes picked up something hidden in a large tuft of grass.

"Aram, there's something here!" He called out, wading through the water as he gestured to where he could see something on the ground, something big.

An older child stopped laughing and a caution filled his eyes as he slowly made his way over towards the patch of grass where Jarem was had just stepped into from out of the river.

Suddenly Jarem screamed loudly and Aram quickly leapt forward, pushing past bushes and trees as he approached the shaking form of Jarem. From beyond the grass, wagons stopped and dogs started barking as the adults hurried closer to investigate.

Aram burst into the clearing and stopped next to the shaking and whitened form of the young child.

"What is it?" He asked Jarem quietly.

Jarem pointed with a shaking and, and Aram turned around and grimaced at the sight. A boy about the age of seventeen lay on the ground. His shirt was torn, his pants ripped. Blood smeared his chest, two large gashes ripping into his skin that were half healed. In one hand, he held a sword that was clasped firmly between bloodied fingers the other hand held a small disc shaped item. A tall white pillar lay toppled on the ground as the boy took gasping and guttural breaths, straining to hold onto life.

"Come quickly!" Aram shouted as he led Jarem away from the boy, eying the sword with fear and disapproval. The bushes rustled as a wiry man, grey haired and short, burst from them with two dogs on his heels. He was wearing a high collared red coat and baggy, bright green trousers that were tucked into his boots.

"I see him Aram," Raen said calmly as he approached the boy. He knelt down, running his hands over the boy as he checked for wounds. He avoided touching the sword at all as he examined the boy. "Help me lift him and we shall take him to Ila,"

"Raen, he has a tool of violence," Aram said hesitantly.

"Should we leave him here to die? We would be murdering him ourselves," Raen said disapprovingly and Aram flushed as he crouched to take the boys legs as Raen gripped his shoulders. The sword stayed firmly gripped in his hand, dragging along the ground as the disc shaped object dropped to the ground, clinking against the rocks.

As the two heaved the boy from the grass, Jarem tip-toed in cautiously, his eyes on the disc shaped object. Glancing around, he hesitantly picked up and turned it over. It looked as frail as china, but when Jarem glanced down he noticed that the rock was chipped. A large circle with a line dividing it was painted on one side of the disc, and black was coloured in at one side. Jarem pocketed it carefully as his eyes roved around the pillar. Several other objects lay half hidden in the grass, including a white hammer, several glowing crystals and a small travelling pack that looked to be full to the brim. Dirt and rocks also lay on the ground, and a small pool of dark liquid…blood, Jarem realised with disgust, stained the grass. Quickly and carefully, he picked up the hammer and the pack, using his scarf to touch the crystals with reverence and awe. He had never seen anything like them before as he gazed upon them, but his shivered as he warmth perpetrated into him, foreign and unwelcome, and he shoved them hastily in the bag. Whistling a small tune, Jarem strode away from the pillar.

* * *

Rand was half conscious, his skull splitting open at the lightest sound. Vague voices could be heard on the horizon, as his eyes were squeezed shut against the bright light. He was lying on something soft, and smooth hands washed his stomach and shoulder. His entire body was racked with pain, his limbs so heavy that he could not even make them twitch.

He moaned out in pain as the ands touched some tender place on his shoulder, and suddenly his back arched as agony swept through him. Dark pain filtered from some kind of gash, and his screamed out loudly.

"Hold him down…herbs…unnatural wound, nothing seemed to work so I…drained of pus, some kind of black oil…would have killed him…"

Words flicked in his mind as the pain faded, leaving a dull throb, and Rand fell back into unconsciousness as the soothing hands stroked his hair tenderly.

* * *

The next time he awakened, it was almost dark. The sun had set and only a few streaks of light filled the sky. Rand was able to lift his head for a moment, despite the waves of dizziness and pain that shot through it. He was in a small caravan of some sort, with bright interior designs. Yellow, green, pink, light blue, all of the bright colours almost made Rand feel nauseous. Next to him, a portly woman with grey hair and a kind face mixed together some herbs in a small bowl, grounding them in together with a small rod.

"W-Where…" Rand started with a whisper. The woman looked up and a careful smile appeared on her face.

"You're safe now, young man," She comforted. "You are in Mahdi Raen's wagon, and I am Ila."

"Mahdi…a Seeker? Tinkers?" Rand managed to get out as he coughed loudly, his throat burning as he covered his mouth with a heavy limb that moved and felt as if it were filled with solid lead. When he removed his hand, blood stained the fingers and he stared at them with dull surprise.

"Ow!" He muttered as he fell back down again, his chest convulsing as his mouth started leaking dark crimson liquid.

Ila jumped to her feet, ground herbs behind dropped into a glass of water. "Drink!" She commanded, and Rand felt smooth and cold glass at his lips. Opening his mouth, a trickle of blood fell into the water and it swirled and hung there, staining the pure liquid. But Rand managed to gulp it down and a tangy taste filled his mouth. His eyes suddenly became droopy and bleary and he lay back down as he fell back to sleep.

* * *

"How long have I been here?" Rand asked Ila the next time he as awake. He felt much better, but still he could not move properly and was stuck on the bed as Ila checked his health.

"We found you nearly two months ago," Ila told him. "Near the river Arinelle. We took you in and tried to heal you as best we could, but it was difficult. You had two wounds your chest, infected and filled with dirtied pus."

"Dirtied pus?"

Ila nodded, her mouth twisting at the memory of it. "It was black and oily, squirming and moving as if it were alive. We removed all of it and made sure not to touch it. Later, we buried it deep in the ground. The next morning, the grass surrounding that area was dead and wasted."

Rand took a trembling hand and made to touch his chest.

"You are healed now. After we removed the liquid, the wounds started healing. But you would not awaken, and we had to feed and drink you when you were asleep. There were no other wounds, so I assumed you had some kind of infection." Ila told him as she bustled around the wagon.

'My legs…my arms…I can't…I can't move them properly." Rand said hoarsely, his mouth dry.

"Of course you can't, you have been bedridden for two months. The muscle has been eaten away. It will take you many months for you to recover." Ila said absently.

Rand nodded slowly. "You're a Tinker, aren't you? One of the travelling folk, the Tuatha'an?"

* * *

_Tuatha'an were a wandering folk, also known as Tinkers and as the Travelling People. They lived in brightly painted wagons and followed a totally pacifist philosophy called the Way of the Leaf, where they were not allowed to commit violence even in the defence of their own lives. They travel seeking a song that was lost in the Age of Legends. Broken objects mended by the Tinkers were often better than knew, but they had a bad reputation and were shunned by many villages by the stories of how they stole and tried to convert young people to their beliefs.

* * *

_

Ila nodded happily, a bright smile on her face as she held up a small bowl, eyeing it closely. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, she placed it down and turned to Rand. She drew water from a pitcher and poured it into a glass cup, handing it to Rand.

"Thankyou." Rand said gratefully as he took the cup with unsteady hands. Water trickled down the sides as Rand tired to stop his shaking hands, before Ila clamped down her hand and helped him drink it. It was cool and refreshing on his throat and as he finished it, he lay back down.

"Ila, I had some items with me. Did…" Rand started hesitantly.

Ila sniffed loudly, her face going decidedly bland. "A pack was found, as well as several other objects around you. Your…sword…was put in a safe place where no child will harm himself on it. We do not tolerate any violence in the camps."

Rand nodded slowly. "You have healed me and saved my life. I will honour your beliefs." He said, yawning loudly. Tiredness ached his bones as his struggled to keep his eyes open.

"What is your name?" Ila asked.

"Rand," Rand told her, just before he fell asleep.

* * *

_Two Month Later_

Rand breathed heavily, sweat pouring off his face as he took another wavering step, his hand gripping the side of the wagon. His legs felt as if they were on fire, but he grinned with success as he presented himself to Ila and Raen.

"You are healing well then," Raen said, smiling gently at Rand..

Rand nodded as he staggered back into a chair that had been placed outside. Fourteen wagons were set up near a large campfire and men and women, all dressed in brightly coloured clothes, did their daily business in tending their children, looking after the dogs, making repairs on their wagons or cutting their vegetables for dinner.

"He is, but he is not ready. His body has suffered greatly from his ordeal," Ila broke in sharply. None of the Tinkers had ever tried to find out what had left Rand broken and bloody, going out of their way for the knowledge. In mention of fighting or violence made most Tinkers turn away.

Rand smiled wryly as Raen placed his hands up, grinning ruefully.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could see to my belongings." Rand asked carefully.

Ila's smile froze and Raen looked wary, throwing a quick glance at his wife.

"Of course you can," Raen answered slowly.

"Thankyou," Rand said gratefully as he tried to stand, grimacing as his legs protested violently, pain spiking through them. He grunted in pain and slowly eased himself back onto the sleep.

"I will get them for you," Raen offered as he stood, and disappeared within the brightly coloured wagons. Ila looked at Rand disapprovingly as she stirred her large pot, the smell of steamed vegetables arising from it.

There was a hush in the camp and men, women and children stopped what they were doing as Raen returned, one hand carrying a small travelling pack filled to the brim, the catch straining to close shut properly. A leather scabbard was strapped to the back of it. His other hand carried a long sword, curved slighly towards the end and a heron-mark imprinted on the handle. He held it away from him, the blade facing downwards and towards Raen himself, as if he would sooner stab himself before harming anybody else.

"Here," Raen said as he dropped the sword to the ground by Rand's feet, and passed the pack towards Rand.

"Thankyou Raen," Rand said, his voice loud in the silent campfire. Ila went back to her vegetables as Raen joined her but a good many Tinkers stared at Rand and the pack. Some of the younger ones looked very interested and came closer, but still keeping their distance.

Rand took his pack and the first thing he pulled off was the black scabbard. He bent down, wheezing slightly and his hand hesitated near the sword. Something smelt, familiar and tangy. His sword was covered in the smell and Rand could feel the hairs on his head rise as his hand hovered inches above it. _Saidin _covered the blade; Rand could feel it emanating its distinctive aura. Then again, the blade had been dipped in the Eye of the World, like himself.

* * *

_Rand had a few theories about what had happened at the Eye of the World. He didn't know for sure what happened once he had fallen in, or how long he had been in there for. In the Tinker camp, there was rarely any news from the outside world. And inside the Eye of the World…Rand still shivered as he remembered his mind snapping under the strain of Saidin. His memories, his consciousness, they had all been gone. He had floated in the light for who knows how long, his body sinking into it. An avalanche of power had collapsed on him and had washed over him, blasting his mind from his body. _

_He didn't know how he had survived, but he had a faint suspicion that what Slayer had said about ta'veren was true, Rand had manipulated the Wheel of Time and forced the pattern to weave him back into the world. Some time after Rand had fallen in, faint links to his mind had been built. Rand didn't know that if he had done it to himself, trying to regain what he had lost, or if the Wheel of Time refused to let him die yet. He had remembered enough of himself to notice that something lay at the bottom of the Eye of the World, a smooth pillar with runes he had 'seen'. He had used the Saidin and pushed it into one of the runes instinctively, and then he had ended up in the Caralain Grass. Raen told him that he had been found near a toppled stone pillar, so it fit into his theory that he had transported himself away from the danger.

* * *

_

Slowly, Rand gripped the hilt of his blade and suddenly he was aware. He had not sought the void, but his blade was a part of him, every particle burning a pathway into his mind. It was his third arm, his sixth finger. The sword was now a part of him, an extra limb. _Saidin _touched Rand but he was not channelling. It was as if the sword was greeting Rand, welcoming him back as a dog did its master.

"What…?" Rand whispered softly. He could feel every scratch on the blade, there were only a few and they did not hurt, but it unsettling. He carefully sheathed the sword back into his scabbard and laid it gently on the ground next to the chair he was sitting in.

There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief throughout the camp as most of the adults went back to their work. Still, some watched curiously as Rand turned to his pack, opening it out. Right on the top, the Heartstone hammer lay there. Rand braced himself and touched it but no feelings washed over him and he pulled it out of his pack, inspecting it carefully. Placing it aside, he then stiffened as he pulled out six crystals. They were long and thin, no larger than the space between his wrist and elbow. They glowed with an inner light that seemed to be natural yet it made Rand's skin crawl.

"Did somebody touch my pack?" Rand asked Raen loudly.

Raen nodded. "Jarem did. There were…items scattered around you and Jarem placed them all in your pack. It was foolish of him, especially with those…things…. you're holding."

Rand nodded absently as he placed the crystals down, setting them aside. From his pack came the mouldy remains of some bread and spoiled remains of salted meat. Wrinkling his nose, he glanced at Raen and gestured towards the dogs. Raen nodded and Rand hefted the spoiled food towards them. One of the dogs sniffed the bread curiously, but most dove for the meat.

Next from his pack came the broken and dull remains of a crystal, and two books. One was an old copy of _Legends of the Blight, The Fall of Manetheren. _He remembered buying this book a long time ago, back when he had just left Two Rivers when he was…how old had he been? It seemed like a lifetime ago. He had been thirteen…that's right, thirteen, and he had just defeated Tam with the sword.

"How long has it been since then?" Rand muttered outloud, gazing at the battered copy of the book. He had read it long ago, the origins of his people, who were the descendents of the legendary nation of Manetheren, the 'Thorn in the Dark Ones foot'. But they weren't his people, were they?

_Your mother was Shaiel, of the Maidens of the Spear. She was not born Aiel, but wandered into the Waste…………I am your mothers brother…Tigraine was always stubborn………Your Father was the Iron Mountain Taardad clan chief. His name was Janduin…_

Rand shook his head irritably. He was not going to dwell on that now. He placed the book aside and came to a smaller, sleeker black book. Rand had bough this at the same time as the other one, but he had never been able to open it. There was a clasp on the front of it and despite his best efforts, which included paying a Blacksmith to open it, he had never been able to pry open the front cover.

Right now though, a few tiny shards of crystal littered on the cover. Silvery _Saidin_, a glowing substance that was both liquid and not, pooled in the tiny cracks of the lock and it glowed slightly, almost barely noticeable as Rand moved the book. There was a small clicking noise and suddenly the lock sprang open. Rand stared at the book for a second, before he moved a careful hand to turn the front cover. The first page he flipped to, he was greeted to large and foreign letters that he couldn't read. The book was old; he could smell the mustiness from the pages, yet it looked to be in perfect condition.

"Why would somebody use _Saidin _to lock a book?" Rand muttered to himself. Raen looked up expectantly but Rand just shook his head and turned the next page. The reason became clear as he stared at smaller foreign writing and a picture in the middle of the page. Five coloured lines stared at him, red, blue, yellow, black, and white. If he titled his head, he could almost see them glowing. He knew what they were...he had used them before. Granted, they had been much more complex and woven before, but the five flows of _Saidin _beckoned him, fire for red, water for blue, white for air, black for earth and yellow for spirit.

With trembling hands, he turned the next page and saw a set of illustrations. The illustrations showed a weave, fire, earth and spirit tangled into something. Foreign writing was written bellow, probably explaining what the flow did. Rand flipped the pages, his mind whirring with excitement and possibilities as gradually, the illustrations became more and more complicated. As he stared at one in the later pages of the book, he suddenly recognised it. A jumble of water, air and spirit with just a touch of fire and earth was drawn, and Rand knew that it created a defensive spinning shield. Another weave Rand recognised as one that would let the channeler fire a bolt of lightning from their hands, another would crack and destroy the earth, creating a chasm, another would heal minor wounds.

Suddenly Rand snapped the book shut, his mind racing as he sat there. The laughter of the Tinkers washed over his mind and he looked up. The sun had set and darkness was cast over the sky. How long had he been absorbed in that book? The light he read by was being generated from the crystals, which glowed in pulsing beats, shimmering beautifully. A gaggle of children lay on the ground metres away, eyes staring at the crystals with awe. Rand ignored them as he studied the book in front of him warily. He had never used the last two weaves before, so how could he have known what they would do? A thousand questions were in his mind but he buried them deeply as he stuffed the book back in his pack. He packed away all of his items, including the glowing crystals which elected groans of disappointment from those who were watching.

Picking up his sword, he grunted in pain as he staggered out of the chair. He limped towards the wagon he was staying in and opened the door. Light greeted him as he walked, candles burning brightly throughout the empty wagon. He placed his pack at the side of his bed and his sword next to it. He needed to rest.

* * *

The months passed as Rand slowly regained his abilities to move. He didn't know what had happened with Huin, Tallanvor, Alanna, Aviendha, Enaila and Jania, and he itched to find out more. But his weakness took time to overcome. Everyday he grew just a tiny bit stronger. At the start he hadn't been able to take more than a dozen steps before falling down in exhaustion. Those dozen steps soon became a hundred, then a walk to the campfire, then a walk around the wagons, then a walk to the river. The Wagons travelled very slowly down the River Arinelle, and every night Rand would seat with the peace-living Tinkers. There would be music and dance, sometimes Rand would forget himself and laugh himself hoarse as he tried to dance to a song, swaying uncontrollably on his feet as the poor laughing girl tried to stop him treading on her tows. Several times, the girls of the Travelling People, would dance sensually in front of him, their dark eyes mysterious and beckoning. Rand would swallow nervously and look away, and that would only seem to make them laugh and try again even harder next time. Some nights Rand would produce the flute he had found in his pack, given to him by a friend a long time ago, and the Tinkers would teach him their music.

In the days, Rand would help the Tinkers with their jobs, mending broken objects that never seemed to cease, or he would read into the small book of _Saidin. _He spent time memorising the weaves, sometimes drawing them in the ground to help him. Most of them were unknown, but in some of them Rand could look at them and tell himself what they would do. Some weaves that had been totally foreign and bewildering would somehow make themselves seem so obvious the next day, leaving Rand to cast serious doubt about himself.

But Rand had admitted to himself that he was having some of the best times of his life here. He had never felt so carefree or happy before in his life. But one day, Raen approached him during breakfast.

"You seemed to be popular with Nystelle last night," Raen said wryly and Rand choked on his porridge, barking in laughter.

"Light, they are going to drive me mad one day." Rand admitted to Raen.

"Women almost always do." Raen said as he sat down to Rand. His gaze was serious, belaying his light tone. "Rand, it has been almost eight months since you came to us."

"Eight months! Light!" Rand exclaimed. "It's been that long?"

"Time does not matter to the Tuatha'an. We have our songs and we move as fast as we want to move." Raen said gently. "Rand, you have been with us for some time. You have learnt and played our music, danced our dances…albeit, not very well,"

Rand chuckled at that as Raen continued.

"I was wondering, Ila was wondering...Rand, you have a sword in the Wagon. Will you throw it away and stay with us? You are healing well now and you are liked within the camps. We would enjoy having you," Raen finished.

Rand's smile vanished as he stared at Raen sombrely. "Light Raen, I would like nothing more than to stay here but…"

All of the wonderings about the fate of his friends, the longings to see Huin and Tallanvor and Elayne and, Light, even Alanna and Aviendha again, came to him at that moment. For a moment, Rand hesitated. One path would give him happiness and bliss for the end of his days. There would be no more horror or death in his life. The other would take him to those he cared for, but a promise of death went with it. Slayer was not dead, Rand knew that, and once he learned that Rand was still alive then he would do nothing to kill him.

"I...I can't." Rand answered slowly.

Raen nodded slowly, his face disappointed.

"Light, Raen, I would love to stay here. The time spent with you and your folk…Raen, I have never been more at peace. But…I have friends; family…I had been here so long that I had almost forgotten them. I think…No, I'm going home Raen. I'm going to see my father." Rand said with determination.

"There is a town to the south called Baerlon. We can camp here for some time, we will wait for you to regain all of your strength and then you may leave." Raen answered.

"How far away is it?" Rand asked.

"A days walk, at your pace." Raen answered.

Rand nodded, mostly to himself. "I have healed well, thanks to Ila and you Raen," He said thoughtfully. "If I could make it to Baerlon, I would be able to get a horse to Two Rivers," Rand mused.

"You are leaving now?" Raen asked, a shocked look on his face.

"Baerlon is only a days way. Raen, I missed my family, my home." Rand said. He felt guilty that he hadn't paid much thought to Two Rivers ever since he had left. Mat, Perrin…they would be older now. Light, they had passed the marriage age, they could even have wives. And Tam…he would like the help Rand could provide in the fields.

"I did not mean to..." Raen started.

"No, you didn't Raen." Rand quickly reassured the Tinker. "But it's time I left. I don't have any money to pay you for what you have done for me…"

"We do not want money," Raen said gently. "Just be safe. Maybe one day, you will return without a sword."

"Light, I wish for the day when I don't it." Rand said ruefully.

* * *

Rand made sure his travelling pack held all that owned. His books and tools, not including the Heartstone hammer, were safely packed. His sword was strapped to his waist, and Rand was aware of it, slid into the scabbard. He had polished it the other day when no Tinker had been looking and it was like washing himself in a running stream. The sword was a part of him now, sentient to a certain degree. The hammer was strapped to his back; no doubt it would come in useful if he ever got into a fight. He also had a few knives hidden among his clothing.

"You are leaving?" Said a melodious voice angrily.

"Hello Nystelle." Rand said as he turned around. A dark eyed girl with long brown hair stood there, her hands on her hips. She had been a frequent dancer and had made Rand blush and stutter once or twice or a few hundred times. She was a little older than he was but still was very beautiful.

"You are leaving without a feast?" She demanded.

"Nystelle, I am not a Tuatha'an." Rand said calmly. "Besides, I am wearing a sword. I might offend somebody."

"Put it away!" She muttered, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the very sight of it. "It is a tool of violence, having no other purpose other than to kill and murder."

"I know." Rand said, touching the hilt briefly and smiling oddly. The sword tingled and Rand felt it inside his mind, like if an arm had gotten an itch. "Its my sword though, and I have killed with it Nystelle. How do you feel about that?"

"Any man may walk from his former sins. Nobody is ever refused the Way of the Leaf if it is what they truly desire." Nystelle snapped angrily, her eyes flashing.

Rand shrugged and noticed a small figure lurking the doorway of the wagon. "Jarem, come in!" He called out.

"Is it true that you are leaving?" Jarem asked. At Rand's nod, he began to fidget and squirm. Scratching his head, the nine year old blushed heavily.

"When I found you…you were holding this. I took it because I didn't know you and though you were just another murderer…here it is, it's yours anyway…" Jarem mumbled. He threw a small disc at Rand, who caught it expertly and stared down at it as Jarem hurriedly left. It was the small disc that Slayer had boasted about at the Eye of the World, a Seal to the Dark Ones prison.

"What is it?" Nystelle asked curiously. Rand ignored her, dread welling up inside of him. Light! A Seal to the Dark Ones prison! Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon himself, had once touched this. He had created it…if Rand broke this accidentally then he might free the Dark one!

"Oh that." Nystelle said as she caught sight of the disc. "Jarem has been playing with that for months. Says it won't break, even if you drop a rock on it. He tried it once and it was fine. I didn't know where he had gotten it from though."

Rand said nothing, but carefully placed the Seal into his tunic, making sure that it was secure. He didn't want to drop this. Light, what was he getting himself into already?

"Goodbye Nystelle," He said as he left the wagon. He waved to Raen and Ila, smiling lightly as he began his walk to Baerlon.


	18. Baerlon: Min and Home again

**A/N- Just to make it clear...Rand cannot channel Saidin from the One Power. His connection to it was severed, as it is when you are gentled. It doesn't mean that he can't channel though...**  
**Rand's sword is the only thing that was affected at the Eye of the World. Why? Well, I would tell you but that would ruin the suprise...

* * *

**

_This is not a very exciting chapter, but necesarry. It can;t all be fights and battles...though we can only dream...

* * *

_

Rand strolled through the town of Baerlon. Distantly, he remembered when he had thought this town was the biggest and grandest place he had ever seen. This was, of course, before he had been to Caemlyn, Fal Dara and even Shayol Ghul. But Baerlon had changed since he had last been here. Guards patrolled the streets and the roads, some were mercenaries but some were the Queens Guard, dressed in their gleaming armour. The town was tense, a bubble waiting to be popped. He had gotten inside the town easily enough, it seems that everybody was wearing a sword these days. 

He sighed softy to himself as he leant against a wall in a small courtyard, the busy market place visible from his vantage point. He was exhausted, his legs were tired and his arms were heavy. The walk from the Tinker camp had been harder than he thought and old fatigues that Rand thought were gone had rushed back to him.

Rand suddenly coughed loudly, his throat making hacking noises as he unclipped his waterskin from his belt, taking a deep gulp from the water there. The liquid cooled his burning throat and Rand sighed in satisfaction.

"You sound like a dying dog, Sheepherder," Remarked a light voice from the other end of the yard. Rand turned his head and grinned.

"There's only one person I know that talks to me like that," Rand remarked, grimacing as he pushed himself off the wall.

Min shrugged. "Somebody needs to deflate your head." She had grown much taller since Rand had last seen her and had filled out. The boy's breeches she wore short cropped hair that never passed her shoulders made her almost seem like a boy from a distance, but once you got close you could see the feminine features lining her dark eyes and the pale skin of her hands.

Rand just shook his head wryly. "My heads is perfectly flat." He told her, taking her by the arm and giving her a short hug.

Min stiffened slightly, but hugged him back and disengaged, smiling slightly. "So, what brings the merchant guard back to little old Baerlon?" She asked as she pulled at his arm, and his tired feet began moving as she led him through the courtyard.

"I'm not a merchant guard anymore Min, Light, I haven't been one for years." Rand said as she led took down a small alley street.

"So what are you now?" Min asked as she approached a small building. Rand said nothing as remembered coming here years ago, when that Aes Sedai had interrupted his meeting. Min had sensed his reluctance and fear of Aes Sedai, she had been there when he had been taken away to be gentled, and had quickly let him leave.

"Is that Aes Sedai still here?" Rand asked Min, who snorted slightly.

"She left a long time ago Rand." She remarked. She gave him an unreadable look as she helped him up the stairs, supporting him whenever his legs couldn't hold him anymore. "I haven't seen you in five years Rand. Things have changed since then."

"I'd noticed," Rand remarked dryly. "Is Baerlon in trouble? I noticed the guards…in fact, I would have had to be very stupid not to notice them."

Min chuckled as she turned the key in the lock, opening the door. The place was cleaner than it had been last time he had been here but it was still quite messy. She led him into a seat and he collapsed gratefully into it, his heart pounding and sweat pouring off his face.

"What happened to you Rand?" Min murmured as she got him a drink of water and some bread to eat.

"It's a long story. First, what's with the guards?" Rand questioned her as she dropped a plate of bread and a glass of water on the table in front of him. She sat down next to him, her eyes serious despite her light voice.

"Things have been tense Rand." She started. "A few years ago, Queen Morgase evicted all of the Whitecloaks out of Andor. Rumours are that they attacked the Daughter-Heir of the throne and her bodyguard."

"I wasn't her bodyguard then." Rand said automatically, taking a large gulp from his drink.

"You're the Daughter-Heirs bodyguard?" Min said, spluttering slightly as she put down her own drink.

Rand nodded impatiently. "So? The Whitecloaks were evicted and…"

"They didn't want to leave, but they had no choice about the legions near Caemlyn. They came here, maybe a hundred leagues east, and set up camp in near the Mountains of mist. They've been patrolling the area, looking for Darkfriends and promoting their rumours that Queen Morgase is a Darkfriend. The Queens Guard came after them a few months ago, told them that they were meant to leave all of Andor, not just Caemlyn. The Whitecloaks refused, and now we have ten thousand men on each side preparing to fight." Min told him. "At the start, some people actually believed the rumours of Morgase, you know, that she was a Darkfriend. But almost a year and a half ago, Andor sent an army up to the Blight and supposedly aided Shienar in stopping another set of Trolloc Wars. A lot of rumours are flying about with that, Some say that Aes Sedai were there, others say that an Andorran Lord fought at Shayol Ghul and was killed and the Queen massed the army as revenge. Some are even saying that the Aiel came from beyond the Spine of the World and fought side by side the nations they had terrorised." Min finished.

"So Tallanvor warned the Queen. And Alanna the Aes Sedai," Rand murmured. "Aviendha and Enaila must have told the Wise Ones if the Aiel were involved."

Min stared at him with her dark eyes and chuckled softly. "Why do I get the feeling that you're all mixed up in this?" She remarked.

"I am Min, Light, I am…or was." Rand chuckled without humour.

"So, tell me of the dramatic adventures of the sheepherder swords-boy, and the grand nations he has seen and the people he has met." Min said, leaning forward on her elbows.

"You're probably won't believe me. Light, half the time I don't believe it myself. But here it is. After I left Baerlon…"

* * *

A few hours later, Rand stopped talking and leant back in his chair. 

"Light Rand," Min whispered hoarsely. "You have been through a lot. You, a _ta'veren…_Shayol Ghul…The Green Man…Rand, you must be either cursed or blessed by the Creator himself."

Rand nodded in agreement as Min stood up, getting him another glass of water.

"Did you know about this when your first saw me?" He asked her. "I remember that you could see things about people, was this in any of what you saw about me?"

"I saw glory. I knew that you would do great things, and that someday you would be hailed as a hero, maybe even a King." Min answered, a touch reluctantly. "I also saw pain, fire and death. I'd say that only the second part has happened to you so far."

"Light, I don't want to be a King." Rand muttered. He suddenly focused her with a penetrating look. "What can you see now?"

"Rand, most people only ever have one or two things appear in their lives." Min explained, avoiding his gaze as she passed him another cup and sat down.

"You can see something, can't you?" Rand asked her.

"I see more pain, more death and more fighting." Min answered him truthfully. "And the crown of glory, it has gotten larger and stronger. It isn't over for you Rand, not by a long shot."

Rand nodded slowly and his eyes burned as he fought off weariness. "It can wait then. I'm going home Min…the Whitecloaks haven't been that far south, have they?"

Min nodded. "Usually on patrols mainly." She chuckled suddenly. "Whenever the scrawl the Dragon fang on somebodies door in the southern villagers, the farmers just wash it off and go back to their business. They are a stubborn lot, not budging an inch for the Whitecloaks. The Whitecloaks don't like them, but they have more important things to worry about. I did hear the rumour that the Whitecloaks were seizing peddler vans and merchant trains for their own uses though, and that there was a small camp further south. But nothing bad has been said about the camp."

Rand frowned. "Tam is a good swordsman." He said slowly. "But he is just one man. If the Whitecloaks started harassing Two Rivers, there might be fighting. I can't see the Village Council or the Women's Circle bending over to receive Whitecloaks."

Min said nothing as Rand struggled to his feet. "If you could help me to an Inn, I'll get some rest and leave for Two Rivers tomorrow."

"Nonsense." Min said sharply. "You can stay here, you'll need all of your money just to get a horse."

Rand started to protest, but Min wasn't having any of it and gently but firmly led him out of his seat and into the next room. A small bed with a single mattress occupied and Min shoved him gently down onto it.

"Min, I can't…" Rand started.

"That's my only bed, so don't be surprised to wake and find me next to you." Min said, ignoring him. Her face softened and she eyed Rand with concern, enough to make him stop his protests. "Get some rest Woolhead, you look exhausted. You shouldn't have left the tinkers until you had recovered better."

She closed the door silently and Rand sighed, shrugging himself out of his shirt. It was a bright red shirt, given to him by the Tinkers. He placed his pack down on the ground and undid his belt, sliding his scabbard and placing it down on the ground. Lying down on the bed, he marvelled at how soft it felt as he succumbed to sleep.

* * *

In the middle of the night, he awoke to find a warm figure pressed against his back. Moving carefully, he turned around to see the sleeping figure of Min curled up next to him. She was dressed in an oversized boys shirt, and looked so peaceful as she slept there that Rand had to smile. He closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

* * *

It wasn't until morning that he awoke again. He stretched his arms and legs, yawning wildly as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was alone on the bed, but the smell of bacon floated from the other room. He sighed, stretching his arms and feeling very relaxed and refreshed. He put on his shirt and for a moment, stared at the sword that lay innocently in his scabbard. It was a mystery to him, something that had been changed by the Eye of the World. But his old clothes, his pack, everything that he had with him had fallen in and none of them had changed. He could not embrace _Saidin, _the empty part of his mind still remained empty, but the sword…the sword bought upon the feeling of drawing in _Saidin, _pure and untainted,and when he touched it with his bare skin…it was like nothing he had ever encountered before. 

"Rand? Wake up you big buffoon!" Min yelled from the other room.

Rand snorted in laughter as he strapped the sword to his waist. For a minute, Rand could feel every single particle of the sword, fixed and rigid, and could sense _Saidin. _It beckoned to him, pure and untainted, intoxicating and sweet, but Rand shoved the feeling out of his mind and quickly let go of his sword. It was no use dwelling on what he had once channelled, he had been gentled and there was no turning back from that.

"That smells good," Rand said approvingly, when he walked into the kitchen as spotted Min gorging herself on a piece of bacon,

Min looked up from her half-eaten bacon and smiled winningly. "Really? Well, the pan has been heated and the meat is fresh. Have fun."

Rand stared at Min for a second, his face blank, before he burst out in laughter. "Light Min, never change." He said, still laughing.

Min seemed to glow under the laugh and her eyes brightened. "Sit down you Woolhead." She said loudly, waving her hand at the chair next to her. "You're my guest, of course I have made you breakfast." She said, scoffing at his ignorance.

Rand sat down as she presented him with his own bacon and he grinned at her. "I haven't had meat in ages." Rand admitted. "Tinkers don't like to eat it, killing animals is also performing violence."

Min said nothing as she watched him wolf down the bacon, an odd smile on her face. Rand noticed and raised a questioning eyebrow between bites. Min flushed, her cheeks suffusing with red and hastily averted her eyes.

"So, you're planning on leaving today?" Min asked him quickly.

Rand nodded. "I have ten silvers in my pack, mostly left-overs from my pay as a Queens Guard." He said. "I figure I could buy a decent horse for that much."

Min snorted. "I don't know of the prices over at Caemlyn of Shienar, but you could buy several horses and the feed for that much here."

Rand gave her a quick grin as he finished his breakfast. "So, what have you been up to? Last night, it was all me, me, me."

"Rand, my life compared to your life is very boring." Min said dryly. "I woke in the mines in the summers, and run errands here the rest of the year."

"Do you get much money?" Rand asked.

Min made a sour face. "Hardly." She sniffed. "But it's enough to live off."

"Here then," Rand said as he pulled out a small bag tied off with a rope. He dropped to the contents on the table, ten shiny silvers clattering together as they lay their, gleaming. Min dropped her mouth at the money but an angry light came into her eyes.

"I don't want your pity," Min said angrily. "I can live very well by myself, thankyou very much Rand."

"Pity? Seven Silvers in the rate of pay for the best inn and breakfast in Caemlyn." Rand told her, grinning slightly at her expression. "So, I'll take these three and you can keep the rest as my payment."

"Did you think I would charge you for this?" Min asked, her tone hurt and her features pained.

Rand flinched. "No!" He said hurriedly. "Light Min, I'm not trying to offend you…I'm just…look, All I was…It's just…"

Min watched him, but her features were more amused than angry. "You're just trying to be nice," She summarised.

Rand nodded, slightly relieved that she had gotten it. "That's it." He confirmed.

Min eyed the coins and with careful hands, took seven of them and placed them in her breast pocket in her breeches. "I do not have so much pride that I will not accept free coin," She said.

"Good. Do you want to come and help me find a quick horse?" Rand asked her.

"I know a person," Min offered as she stood up. She smiled lazily at Rand and beckoned to the door.

* * *

"You'll pay me a two silvers from this?" A grizzled man who pointed at a brown horse asked in disbelief. It was a good horse, fast and speedy. Not excellent or great, but it would suit Rand perfectly for the trip home. 

"If you do not wish to sell it…" Min trailed off, her hands on her hips.

"No, no!" The man said hurriedly. He smiled greedily. "The horse is yours…for two silvers."

"I trust that a saddle and harness will be included in this deal?" Min asked.

The man looked surprised and had opened his mouth to object, when he noticed Min pulling out the two silvers. They had been quickly spit-shined and polished to produce a better gleaming effect, so they sparkled in the light. "Of course," He managed, his eyes never leaving the coins. "I'll…I'll just go do that now."

As the man left the small stable to get the saddle, Min turned to Rand and smiled smugly.

"Am I good?" She asked him.

"That was amazing." Rand confessed.

"I am very good at haggling." Min said, tossing one of the coins in the air and catching it in her hand. She looked proud of herself.

A few moments later, the horse had been saddled and harnessed.

"Here is your payment," Min said and tossed him the coins.

"Thankyou Lady, have a pleasant day." The man said as he bowed awkwardly. Rand led the horse from the stable, the faint tingles of tiredness creeping into him already.

"Light, I wish I was healed." Rand muttered to himself. He turned to Min and there was an awkward silence between them as they stood at the far end of Baerlon. Behind them were the stables; in front of them was the log wall that surrounded the town and the gate. Two armed guards stood at either side and four more watched every horse and man that came in closely.

"You're going to leave now," Min said.

Rand nodded. "I have my pack, that has everything I belong." He said. He stared into Min's eyes earnestly. "Thankyou Min. It was good to see you again."

Min punched him in the arm quite hard and Rand flinched. But she smiled and hugged him tightly, her arms wrapping around his tall frame. "You take care of yourself," She said as she let go. "What will you do?"

Rand shrugged. "I don't know. I'll help Tam on the farm. I don't really know what I could do,"

"Rand, you've been a shepherd, a merchant guard, a soldier, a traveller, an Aiel, a warder, a Tinker and a Lord. I don't doubt that you will somehow throw yourself into some other mess and become something else." Min said dryly.

"If you're ever near the Two Rivers, come and visit me." Rand said as he hopped onto his horse.

"I will see you again," Min said, and she sounded so certain that Rand wandered if she had Seen something. He waved goodbye and moved the horse to a trot, passing the watchful guards. Once he had past the city gates, he pushed the horse into a gallop and sped forward. If he moved fast enough, he could reach the Two Rivers by nightfall.

* * *

Tam al'Thor sat in a comfortable armchair, his head buried into one of his books. Lamps lit the darkened farmhouse as Tam turned another page. Suddenly the sound of an approaching horse appeared and Tam looked up, his hand automatically reaching for a thin and battered sword leaning against his armchair. With the Whitecloaks in the area, it had never been safe to go outside at night, especially if you lived away from the town and on a farm like Tam did. 

"Clear off!" Tam yelled angrily as the horse stopped outside. He could here footsteps as somebody walked up towards the door. Locks and bolts stood between the stranger and Tam, who stood with his sword, tense and wary.

"Tam?" Came a voice in surprise.

"Who is it?" Tam asked, his curiosity piped as he struggled to remember where he had heard that voice before. It sounded so familiar…no! It couldn't be!

"It's Rand," Came the voice hesitantly, but Tam was already shrugging of the bolts and locks, and he flung open the door.

It was Rand! But he had gotten so tall! Tam gazed at his son for a moment, before the stocky and greying man laughed loudly, embracing him. Rand returned the embrace, and could almost feel tears come to his eyes as he held his father for minutes. Tam broke apart, his eyes shining from moisture as he led Rand into the house. As Rand sat down, Tam took a close look at him in the light. He was wearing a shiny red shirt, and dark trousers, and both items looked ridiculous. Rand's sword…his sword at one point, hung on his belt. Rand had grown taller as he had grown older, his face had lost all of its chubbiness and had sharpened and hardened. There were scars on his face, one very close to his hairline and the other near his cheek. Tam could see through the undone top buttons of his shirt, and there were scars on his torso as well, one that looked like an old arrow wound and one that looked freshly made. Rand's eyes had changed the most, the disinterest and apathy was mostly gone. Instead, a certain wariness and alertness filled them, as if Rand was expecting an attack at any time and was always ready for it.

"Light, I have missed you son," Tam said quietly.

Rand grimaced at that. Should he let Tam know that he knew about his true parentage? For a moment, Rand hesitated but then he decided not to. He had come home to see Tam and it would be a bad way to start a conversation at this very moment.

"I've missed you too." He said softly.

"How have you been?" Tam asked Rand.

"I'm well. I just rode in from Baerlon, I bought a horse there so I could get here as quick as I could." Rand told him.

Tam smiled but noted the way Rand held himself. "You look exhausted."

"I'm always exhausted these days." Rand admitted. "I was injured recently and spent eight months healing. I still haven't healed properly."

"How were you injured?" Tam asked in concern.

Rand opened his mouth, but the words failed him. Did he want Tam to know everything? Should he hold back?   
Tam noticed his hesitation and smiled in understanding. "No need to say anything son. I was the same way when I came back from Illian. Sometimes, what happens out of the Two Rivers should stay out of the Two Rivers. That part of my life was over and I didn't want to reopen old wounds."

Rand nodded mutely as Tam stood up.

"Would you like a drink then?" He asked.

Rand shook his head. "No thanks," he said, finishing the sentence with a yawn.

"I'll make up a bed for you. Tomorrow I was planning on going into town, you can join me if you want to," Tam said.

"I think I will." Rand said.

* * *

As Tam made up Rand's old bed, Rand dropped his pack on the floor and undid the straps. A large bundle wrapped around with a dark cloth was the first thing to come out, and he carefully placed in a small section of his wardrobe. Tam noticed but did not say anything as Rand pulled out the hammer. 

"Do you think Perrin would like this?" He asked Tam. "It's Heartstone."

"Heartstone?" Tam whistled through his teeth. "Light Rand, I think you should hold onto it. It's bound to be rare. Where did you get it?"

Rand stared at Tam, his gaze strong and penetrative. For a moment, Tam watched his eyes go distant before he shook himself back together.

"Nowhere in particular." Rand replied.

Tam nodded. So it was like that. But he did not mind. For five years, Tam had been alone in his farmhouse. Now his son was back and Tam didn't care what he had done or where he had been, so long as he was back and safe.

As Rand settled down on the newly made bed, Tam hovered at the doorway. "Rand…was it the right thing to do? Did I do wrong to send you away?"

"No." Rand said, his tired voice strong and firm. "It was the right thing to do, and I don't ever regret leaving."

Tam nodded, his conscience slightly lighter as he left the room, blowing out the lamp.


	19. Two Rivers: Dreams, Healings and Plots

**A/N- If I recall, Rand and Moraine don't leave the Two Rivers in the first book until he's about twenty. Does that sound right to everybody? Rand is eighteen now. He'll mainly stick to the Two Rivers, but could leave for a bit. Nobody knows that name of the Andorran 'Lord' who supposedly went to Shayol Ghul in the Two Rivers, and nobody knows that Rand is meant to be dead.

* * *

**

_Rain dropped to the ground and lightning flashed overhead, briefly lighting the darkened grounds. Bodies lay strewn all everywhere, some Trolloc and some humans. The smell of death was strong, and wolves howled loudly in the background. Standing in front of him was Slayer, his face twisted with rage. A scar had been slashed into his face, looking fresh and painful as it scraped a line through his cheek and his empty eye socket. His other eye glared at him, hard blue lined with an aura of crimson and darkness. Flames burned from those eyes and the other man wandered if that terrible eye had caused the burns that covered and marred the left hand side of his face._

"_It ends here! You have ruined my plans for the last time!" Slayer hissed, his voice both high and low, two people speaking from one. Slayer lifted his sword, a black-gloved hand gripping a silver hilt and a raven-black blade. Darkness extended off the blade, coiling and radiating off it as it withered and twisted on the blade. He drew his own sword, silver and burning, intoxicating light burning brightly, and he jumped forward. The swords clashed, darkness and light bearing together, and there was a loud roar. Lightning erupted from where the swords struck and something blew back both fighters. Slayer landed painfully on the ground, his lips curved in a predatory and insane snarl, while the other fighter looked up with steely grey eyes. Rand stood up calmly, older, slightly taller and his eyes hard with determination and…

* * *

_

Two people woke up with the same dream, at opposite ends of the continent. One of them was Min Farshaw, sweating and trembling as she sat up in her bed, hands shaking. She had never had a dream like that before, so real and vivid. Her visions had never been like that either, but Min knew that she had seen what was to come. She would not get anymore sleep again tonight.

"_Ta'veren,_" Min whispered to herself. "Oh Rand, how I pity you."

* * *

In the Aiel Waste, a woman with white hair and strong eyes gasped up from her bed as the sun was just rising. For a moment, she shook slightly as she sat up next to her husband, Rhurac, a clan chief.

"What is it?" Rhurac asked, any signs of tiredness from just waking up gone as he eyed the room. A spear leant against the bed and Rhurac's hand hovered above it.

Amys said nothing as she replayed the dream in her mind. She had never felt anything like that before; no dream had ever been so vivid even for her, a Dream Walker. But wasn't he dead? She could not find his dreams anymore; they were simply not there. He had to be dead…unless something blocked and shielded his dreams. First she had to calm down and interpret as much of this as she could. She would recall Aviendha and Enaila, perhaps they could tell her who the other man was.

"Go to sleep Husband," Amys offered.

Rhurac grunted back allowed himself to fall back on the mattress. But only one of them slept again that night, and two women from different sides of the world lay restless and confused.

* * *

On contrast to the two seers, Rand had had a perfectly well rested night of sleep. His bed was just as comfortable as he had remembered it when he was child. He woke up in the morning to the chatters and songs of the native birds. Smiling, he lay back as he listened to sounds he hadn't heard in years.

"Good morning Rand," Tam said cheerfully as he walked in the room. He frowned at Rand, who lay in his bed feeling sheepish.

"I'm not used to waking early anymore Rand said, blushing slightly as he jumped out of bed. He looked at his Tinker clothing and frowned at the muddy and dirty cloths. Tam noticed his look and produced a bundle from his hands. It was a dark tunic with trousers, and sturdy leather boots.

"I though you could use some new clothes," Tam admitted.

"Thankyou," Rand said gratefully as took the clothes.

"There's breakfast on the table. I have to ready the cart, I'm taking some homebrew to the Inn." Tam said.

"I'll eat fast and join you," Rand said.

Tam looked grateful, the casks of homebrew were very heavy for one man. He left and Rand changed quickly. For a moment he hesitated, before he strapped his sword to his waist and his general accompaniment of assorted knives. His hammer he strapped onto his back and pulled on a dark cloak to hide it. He looked at himself in the only mirror in the house. He had grown taller, yes, but skinnier. He could see his ribs poking from his stomach and grimaced. It would take him a long time to heal. Maybe the Wisdom could help him with some herbs and treatments.

After a hurried breakfast, mainly bread and goat's milk, Rand helped his father load the cart. There were eleven casks and by the time Rand and Tam had lifted the last one up, Rand was panting and exhausted from the effort.

"Light, you really are not well," Tam muttered in worry.

Rand waved it aside with his hand, gasping for breath. "I just…" he started, coughing slightly. A few droplets of blood coated his fingers and he frowned. "I just need to rest and build up my muscles." He explained.

"I think you need something more than that," Tam said as he glanced at the blood. "Come, I'll take you to the new wisdom."

Rand sat in the front seat of the cart as Tam tied the horse onto it. Nearby, Rand's new horse grazed in the grass calmly, a rope coiled around it's neck and to a strong and sturdy pole. Tam urged the horse forward and the cart started moving.

* * *

Rand leant back as the cart moved slowly, the horse walking at a trot. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of the sun on his face and the breeze in his hair. It was very relaxing and Rand could feel the tiredness in his body urging him to doze off lightly. As his mind wandered, enjoying its rest, the cart suddenly stopped and something shook him.

"Rand?" Tam asked in concern.

"I'm fine, really." Rand said as he opened his eyes. Tam nodded, but looked as if he didn't believe Rand, and got off the cart. They were in front of the Two Rivers inn, in Eomers field. The familiar buildings hadn't changed much, the Blacksmith had a new thatch roof, the Inn had a new coat of paint, but other than that it was like Rand had never left.

Master al'Vere burst out of the inn, a giant smile on his face as he strode up to Tam.

"Ah! Perfect! Your brew is easily some of the best, we will have a happy inn tonight!" He said. He was a portly man with red cheeks and dark eyes. In fact, Rand had been he only citizen of Two Rivers to have light eyes. Suddenly Master al'Vere spotted the figure getting out of the cart and he gaped in disbelief.

"My word, if it isn't Rand al'Thor!" He said and strode forward. He pulled Rand into a manly hug, vigorously shaking his hand. "Welcome back to the Two Rivers!"

Rand smiled tightly and when Master al'Vere let go of his hand, he discreetly rubbed it. "It's good to be back," he said.

Master al'Vere beamed as he helped Tam unload the casks. When Rand approached, Tam sent him a steady look.

"Rand, go find Nynaeve and get yourself looked at. She's the new Wisdom, she will be able to help you." He ordered sternly.

Rand nodded and walked away from the Inn. People bustled over the town, some meeting his eyes with recognition and flinching away. Rand had never been fully welcome in the town once he had been gentled and they had found out, but the Woman's Council had been quite firm about those who wanted him gone. He was from the Two Rivers and Two Rives folk do not turn on one another.

Suddenly two figures burst out from one side of a house. One of them was a slim youth, Rand's age, with brown eyes and a mischievous smile that always made him seem like he was up to no good, and with Mat you could count on that he always was. He was shorter than Rand but taller than most people in Two Rivers. The other was a slightly smaller and stockier boy, with thick arms. Despite his large frame, Perrin was a gentle person but had a wicked temper once unleashed.

"Light, that was fun!" Mat crowed loudly, still laughing.

Perrin shook his head in exasperation. "Nynaeve will switch you for this," He said.

Mat shrugged. "It was worth it. Did you see the expression on her face!"

"MAT CAUTHON!" Came a loud shriek as a dark haired girl with braids and dark eyes stalked from the same path the two boys had come from. She was dripping wet, her clothes drenched and her hair sticking to her face. Her eyes flashed as she advanced upon Mat. Perrin shook his head silently, but a small smile was curved on his lips as Mat took one look at the girl, Egwene, and laughed furiously again.

"Do you think this is funny?" Egwene demanded, her hands on her hips as she bore down on Mat. "You emptied a bucket of water onto me!"

"And you put herbs in my drink yesterday that made it bitter," Mat countered as he grinned mischievously. "So its even."

"I swear Mat, I will…" Egwene started before she caught sight of Rand leaning on one of the houses and watching with amusement. She froze, her dark eyes wide as she instantly recognised him and her mouth dropped open.

"Egwene?" Mat asked, his smile fading as concern replaced amusement. "Are you alright?"

"Rand!" Egwene breathed, a smile forming on her face.

"What?" Mat asked in confusion before he swivelled around and jumped up in shock. Perrin looked pleased as a smile came over his face as Rand approached them.

"Still up to trouble Mat?" Rand asked, his arms folded.

"Blood and Ashes!" Mat swore, and for once Egwene did not frown and titter. "You've gotten big! Light, I was going to enjoy being the tallest person in Two Rivers."

"Is that all you can say Mat?" Perrin said as he came forward. "You look well…actually, you don't, but it's good to see you again."

He gave Rand a thump on the back as Mat came up, almost skipping as a wide smile took his face.

"It's about time," he snorted. "We were beginning to think you had found another home,"

Egwene composed herself rather quickly and stared at him with her dark eyes. "Hello Rand."

"Hello Egwene," Rand said, a bit uncomfortably. Egwene had always followed him around when he had been a kid, and Rand had secretly suspected that her mother and Tam had been arranging a marriage for the both of them before he had left.

Egwene suddenly looked down at herself and blushed at her muddy and wet clothes. She glared venomously at Mat, who shrugged uncomfortably and apologetically.

"I didn't know he would be here," He was quick to defend himself.

"Do you have him Egwene?" Came a crisp voice as a tall woman stalked up, her dark hair braided into one long braid. Nynaeve was maybe six years older than he was, and had grown up to become a very beautiful women. She stared at Rand for a moment and her brows furrowed, before her anger faded away and she smiled slightly.

"Come home have you?" She asked Rand. "It's about time you stopped being a fool and retuned to your senses."

"Well, you haven't changed," Rand, said wryly, but he smiled. "It's good to see you again, Nynaeve. And you Mat, Perrin, Egwene."

"So, what was your journey like?" Mat asked eagerly.

Rand hesitated. "Long," he finally answered. "But I saw a lot of different places and people. Light, one day you have to see Caemlyn. It's the greatest city in the world. And Fal Dara is like the forts of the stories, with soldiers and walls and as giant castle. And Whitebridge, you would like Whitebridge."

Mat looked eager to hear more as Perrin opened his mouth.

"Maybe we should go to the Inn in twenty minutes. It would give some people time to get ready." He said, his eyes flicking to Egwene and her wet clothes. Egwene coloured and drew herself up, her head held high. "I would not need a change of clothes if somebody hadn't thrown a bucket of water at me!"

Nynaeve seemed to remember the reason she was here and rounded off onto Mat, her tongue sharp and belittling as she called Mat everything from a fool to a blasted mischief-making brat. After a few seconds of her tirade, Rand caught the glimpse of pleading in Mat's eye and sighed.

"I heard that you were the new Wisdom Nynaeve," Rand said loudly.

Nynaeve looked decidedly smug and pleased with herself, and Mat was forgotten as she drew herself up. "I am," She replied.

"I…I might need some herbs to help me. I was…in a coma of sorts for eight months, and then I received some wounds that were infected. They were treated but I'm not feeling so well." Rand said and was rewarded with a quick flash of appreciation and gratitude by Mat.

Nynaeve pursed her lips but looked him up and down. He did look sick, his ribs were poking through his clothes and his face was pale and tight.

"Alright," She said as she withdrew a small pouch from her cloak. Inside were her vials of herbs and mixtures. "Where were the wounds that became infected?"

Rand gestured to his shoulder and stomach and Nynaeve stalked walking towards the Inn.

"Well, are you coming?" She called over her shoulder.

Rand followed her with Mat and Perrin walking next to him, and Egwene trailing behind him. It was only a two-minute walk, but Rand was still tired from the lifting and half way there he had to partially lean on Perrin as his legs started aching badly. He didn't see Mat and Perrin exchange worried looks behind Rand's back as Perrin gently led Rand towards and Inn, and Mat opened the door.

Inside, Tam and Master al'Vere were talking softly over a table, while a few men drank at the small bar. Nynaeve ignored everybody as she directed Rand into a chair and pursed her lips.

"Alright," She said in her no-nonsense tone. "Take off your shirt,"

Mat, who sat on his left, gaped at her and she gave him a withering look that made him flinch.

"Show me the wounds," She repeated, as if talking to a child. Egwene stood behind her, her dark eyes staring unflinchingly at Rand.

Rand slowly took of his shirt, leaving his bare chest. Mat whistled as he took in the various scars that Rand had acquired over the years.

"Where did you get this?" Mat asked as he pointed to a small straight scar on his stomach.

"I was stabbed, the blade went straight through me," Rand said gruffly.

"That's an arrow point," Perrin said as he pointed to a scar near his shoulder.

"Whitecloak," Rand admitted.

"Who did this?" Mat asked, pointing to a slash across the breast.

"Whitecloaks again," Rand said and offered a small smile. "We don't like each other,"

Nynaeve sniffed loudly, muttering about foolish men waving swords about.

As Mat opened his mouth again, Rand sighed, suddenly feeling annoyed. "This slash on my right side was a sword, the three gashes on my back was some kind of animal, the small scar on my face was a Whitecloak again, the scar on my hairline was a sword, there's one on my scalp," He said, a little annoyed at their prying. "Are you done staring now?"

Mat and Perrin looked slightly abashed as Rand turned to Nynaeve.

"Here it is," Rand said as he gestured to a scar on his stomach. "There's another on my back," They were the wounds that Slayer had made with his powers, cutting into him. They had been filled with pus at one point, which had been described as a sort of liquid black fluid that squirmed, but Ila of the Tinkers had drained it and sewed the wounds back up.

Nynaeve circled him, her fingers flitting over first the scar on his stomach, then the one across his shoulders. She shuddered at the last one and withdrew her hand quickly.

"I thought you said that the infection had been taken care of," She grumbled as she pulled out a small pinch of mushed herbs. "It's full of pus,"

Rand stiffened and quickly leant away from Nynaeve's touch. "Don't touch it!" He said quickly.

Nynaeve scowled at him. "Do not be a fool Rand al'Thor, I was using herbs when you were a baby."

"Nynaeve, don't touch it!" Rand said warningly. Nynaeve hesitated at the power of the caution in his voice.

"Then what do you want me to do with it?" She asked him snappily.

"Get a bowl of some sort, one you can throw away. Then, get a small knife." Rand instructed. "Open the wound and let the pus flow into the bowl. Do not let any of it touch you, or drip onto the ground."

"I am not a fool," Nynaeve muttered irritably. She fumbled for something on her person, and a small clay bowl was produced.

"Lean back," She commanded and Rand did as she said. There were cool hands that inspected the old scar for a moment, and then Nynaeve produced a small knife.

"Use this one," Rand said as he gestured to one of his throwing knives that lay next to his crumpled shirt. "Then put it into the bowl when you're done. You won't be able to keep that knife if the pus touches it,"

Nynaeve frowned but picked up his knife. Rand grimaced suddenly as she sliced open the wound, and he could suddenly feel a lightness that came as something dripped into the bowl, making a splashing noise.

"Blood and Ashes!" Mat breathed in horror, looking behind Rand with a look of disgust on his face. Perrin's face mirrored his, and Egwene had her hands to her mouth and her eyes were wide with shock. Nynaeve breathed in deeply, but the hand on Rand's shoulder to hold him still never wavered.

"What is that?" Egwene asked, her nose wrinkling as a smell came into the air. It smelt like death and decay, rotten food and spoiled meat with blood and Trolloc sweat all rolled into one.

"Evil," was all Rand said. The other patrons in the Inn had noticed the smell and had walked over to where Rand was laying down.

"That is disgusting!' One of the men cried out, jumping back as far away from Rand as he could.

"Light Rand!" Tam muttered in horror. "Who did this to you?"

"An enemy of mine." Rand said, grimacing as something squirmed on his back. A cool blade scraped along the skin of his shoulders and Rand heard a small splash.

"What happened to him?" Mat asked, leaning forward as if he had forgotten that tainted wound was there.

"We fought." Rand said, frowning. "He won and he thinks I'm dead,"

"Light!" Nynaeve breathed in softly, so softly that Rand thought that he had been the only one to here her. After a few minutes of silence, Nynaeve removed the hand on his shoulder that held him down. Rand her rustling noises and a smell of herbs and cloth was dragged over his back. He grimaced, grunting softly with pain as the rag dug into the wound, cleaning in roughly and thoroughly. Nynaeve stood up, a bowl being held out in front of her.

"Is that it?" Rand asked her, and she nodded. There was a slightly ill look on her face, but she was doing better than Perrin and Egwene, both who were looking very green and sick. "I'll take care of it," He said as he stood, quickly donning his shirt.

Nynaeve was only too glad to pass the bowl over with the knife laying inside. Rand looked down and saw oily liquid, black as the night and withering with taint as if it were alive. He carefully put the bowl down and turned to Tam.

"Do you have any casks left?" Rand asked him.

Tam nodded, a worried look on his face as he regarded his son. "There's one out the front, in the cart." He said.

"Get it and bring it in here," Rand said as he held the bowl out in front of him with an uneasy look on his face. Would this stuff keep growing from him?

Tam left and returned a minute later, a small cask in his hand. He opened it, screwing the lid off and Rand dropped the bowl inside. Tam quickly shut the lid and dropped the cask to the ground as Rand moved his shoulders experimentally.

"Thankyou Nynaeve," Rand said honestly.

Nynaeve sniffed, tugging at her braid as she glared at him. "Maybe next time you will stay home before you consider rushing off and getting infections like that again," She said.

Rand frowned at her back as she whirled around, gesturing for Egwene. Both of them left the Inn, though Egwene did it reluctantly and her eyes washed over Rand just before she left.

"So, what can I do here?" Rand asked Tam. "I'm staying for a bit, so…"

Tam smiled brilliantly, his hand clasping Rand's shoulder. "Well, there's a tree stump in the second paddock, the one near the river if you don't remember. I could use help removing it."

Rand nodded and stood up, buttoning the rest of his shirt. "Lead on," He said.

* * *

"That is an interesting tale you tell, Lord Luc," Queen Morgase said thoughtfully. "Do tell it again."

Lord Luc bowed deeply. "Your majesty, my sisters Aes Sedai advisor came to me and told me that it was essential that I go north, towards the Blight. She said that glories and riches and power unlike anything I had known would come to me if I did. I was young, My Queen, young and foolish, so I listened to her and went. Before I reached Fal Dara, in Shienar, bandits and muggers attacked me. They outnumbered me and took my clothes, horse and left me for dead. I was found by a wandering farmer and taken into his house and looked after, but I had lost all of my memories and for the last decade I have been on a farm. A few months ago, I was struck on the head by a falling piece of timber and my memories returned. I immediately returned here, only to find that my sister had vanished a year after I had left."

Queen Morgase frowned, as Lord Luc looked bewildered and slightly lost. "My Queen…I…I don't know what to do anymore. I…I can't go back to being a farmer with the knowledge of who I was. I…what should I do?"

The last part was whispered and the heartbroken and confused look on Lord Luc made him seem like a child, lost and confused in a world that it didn't understand.

"Lord Luc," The Queen said tersely, but her voice had softened. "Get some rest. We will talk about what to do with you after you have slept. You look like you need it."

Lord Luc bowed deeply and respectfully, just as Elayne walked into the hall, dressed in fine silks and her head held high. Her red-gold hair spilled over her shoulders and for a second, Lord Luc stared at her, his mouth open and going dry. Suddenly, as if he remembered where he was, he blushed a brilliant red and averted his eyes.

"Ah…Y-Your Majesty…I'll…I'll just go…rest, yes, that sounds good," Lord Luc stammered, taking one quick look at Elayne and leaving quickly. Morgase smiled as he left, eyeing Elayne shrewdly.

"He seemed quite taken with you, daughter," She mused.

Elayne blushed slightly. "Who was he? He looks familiar,"

"That is Lord Luc. He was Tigraine's brother, the daughter-heir who vanished twenty years ago. It was her sudden disappearance that allowed me to gain the throne. According to Luc, he had lost his memories and only recently had recovered them." Morgase answered.

"Is he lying, trying to get back his power?" Elayne asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know," Morgase answered thoughtfully. "He did not seem like the type though, he was not very good at hiding his emotions. But, I will watch him carefully."

Elayne nodded. "He looked familiar Mother, as if I had seen him before."

"There are portraits of him in the palace." Morgase said dismissively. "Now, what did you come here for?"

"I was just curious to see who the new Lord that the maids were gossiping about," Elayne answered.

* * *

Inside his rooms, Lord Luc dropped his mask and his face changed from a peaceful if slightly bumbling man, to a cold and hard face with malicious eyes.

"Everything is working perfectly, Great Lord," He whispered. For a moment, it sounded as if two voices had spoken at once and Lord Luc, known as Slayer to the Trollocs, smiled coldly as he lay down in the bed. He would need rest if he were to continue this charade. He would stay here for a few years, acting harmless and content with his new life, and he would carefully set up his plans.

For a moment, he contemplated failure and shuddered slightly. The Great Lord had not been pleased with his other failure and Slayer had been punished severely, almost to the point of death. But he had another chance to serve the Great Lord again, and he would not fail. Rand al'Thor was dead, and there was nobody who could recognise him. But he had forgotten one person as he went to sleep, one person who he had talked to and revealed himself as a Darkfriend.


	20. Two Rivers: Peddlers and Marriage

**A/N- I think I have this planned out now, I have a nice little Text file that I've layed my proposed plan out. If somebody wants to Beta it, pick out anything or suggest ideas about it, email me or leave a message in a review and I might send you it. But beware of spoliers if you do...

* * *

**

**I have a question. Does Mat's fox head medallion block Saidin as well as Saidar?

* * *

**

**Liz- You know, I had forgotten that. Oh well, I'll have to 'conveniently' ignore those facts…it would ruin the plot. Or maybe Rand is special because he's the Dragon Reborn. You know, I could use that…

* * *

**

_Some Months Later_

Slowly, with the treatment of Nynaeve's herbs and the constant exercise Rand did helping Tam around the farm, Rand's health improved by the day. Twice in three months, Nynaeve had to purge and clean the two old wounds, which would fill with the tainted pus. Rand was sure that an Aes Sedai would be able to heal him, but he found himself reluctant to leave and go home. After eight months with the Tinkers and four months at Two Rivers, Rand wasn't even sure that he could use the sword properly. Which was why Rand started practising everyday at sunset, his blade whistling through the air as his arms and body quickly retuned itself to the blade.

Saidin had changed the blade. It was more attuned to his mind and became more and more like a third arm. He doubted that he would ever be able to use another sword like he used this. One day, Perrin and Mat were throwing small stones at Rand, who would dodge or block them. Needless to say, it was harder than it sounded and Rand had already been hit several times. As another rock flew at him, Rand twisted the blade so the horizontal plane was facing the rock and had swung it. There was a tiny clanging noise as the rock was struck but the moving blade and it soared over Mat and Perrin's head. Rand grinned slightly before something fast and quick hit him in the leg, no more than a sting.

"We could stop if you want us to," Perrin offered, but Mat grinned and heaved another rock at Rand. Rand ducked as it flew over his head, and stood up with a half-mocking smile on his face.

"Ow!" Someone yelped and Mat's smile faded quickly.

Rand turned around to see Egwene stepping into the small paddock on Tam's farm where they had been practising.

"Hello Egwene," Rand greeted with courtesy.

"Who threw that?" She demanded. Behind Rand, Mat fidgeted and she sighed. "Of course, it had to have been Mat Cauthon,"

"Why are you here?" Mat demanded as he and Perrin strolled up.

Egwene sniffed loudly, casting a dark look at Mat. "I just thought you would like to now that a Peddler Van has entered Emond's field."

"A Peddler Van?" Mat asked in excitement.

"At this time of the year?" Perrin frowned.

Rand looked nonplussed, but Mat and Perrin were certainly excited.

"I saved up four coppers." Mat was saying as Egwene led them back to Emonds field. "I might get myself a sword, like Rand here,"

Perrin snorted. "A weapon?" He asked. "What would you need one for?"

Mat threw a dirty look at him. "In case those Whitecloaks ever return." He said darkly. "Calling me father a Darkfriend…they were lucky Nynaeve didn't switch every single one of them,"

"I have a weapon, an axe I made when Master Luhhan wasn't busy." Perrin said, snorting slightly. "But once I'd built it, I realised that I would probably never use it. Besides, you're good with the quarterstaff."

Mat sighed in acknowledgment. "Yeah." He brightened visibly. "Maybe he has one I could buy. Or I could make one,"

"Doesn't your father have one?" Rand asked.

"He doesn't let me touch it, not after I beat him at Bel Tine and broke his arm." Mat said glumly.

Egwene sniffed, speaking for the first time. "You're all being foolish. You would really kill Whitecloaks Mat, you would kill a man with a family, maybe a wife and children,"

"Only if he tried to kill me first," Mat protested. "Besides, I bet Rand has before. He's got enough scars to prove it,"

Rand looked at Mat with such a controlled and blank expression that it made him falter in his step. "I have killed before, but only few were human."

"So what wasn't human?" Mat asked, just as they rounded a bend and gazed upon the village of Emond's Field. A small and bright red Peddlers wagon was in the middle of the village and people were milled around it.

"There it is!" Mat crowed. He started running down towards the village eagerly, leaving behind Rand, Egwene and Perrin, who stared after him.

"He acts like a child," Egwene said in disapproval. "He's been switched four times in the last month, four! He should act more like you Perrin."

Perrin shrugged uncomfortably, probably because he had been party to most of Mat's schemes and pranks. "Rand hasn't been switched once since he's been here, even when he knocked over the horse trough and wet all of Mrs Caern's new clothes,"

Egwene glanced at Rand, her eyes flicking over his sword and grimaced. "I don't think anybody has the nerve to," She admitted.

Rand raised a curious eyebrow at Egwene and she flushed. "Let's see this wagon then," he said, ignoring Egwene's comment.

* * *

The Peddler was a rather large man with a sweating belly and dark, squinty eyes. His face seemed to be permanently nervous and his eyes flicked everywhere, as if he expected attack at any time. He stank of his own body odour and his clothes were dirty and more rags than anything else. Still, villagers flocked at his wagons, browsing through his merchandise. There were ceramic cups, books, brightly coloured cloths, some old rusty broadswords and trinkets of the same sought. Mat was among the crowd, gazing at a wooden rod with longing. 

"See there, Rand," He said as he gestured at the rod as Rand approached. It was a quarterstaff, slim and made from Blackwood. It looked to be of good quality and the Peddler was quick to catch onto Mat's interest.

"What do you think son," He said in a booming voice. "It's a fine piece of work, made in Saldea from the finest weapon makers,"

Rand doubted that but Mat seemed even more eager, his eyes staring at the quarterstaff with longing. "How much?" He asked.

"A Silver," The Peddler said and Mat groaned.

"What?" Perrin exclaimed. "For that?"

"That's fine wood boy," The Peddler said sharply. His expression grew calculating as he gazed at Mat, his eyes narrowed. "Are you skilled boy?"

"Only the best in Two Rivers," Mat said, a little smugly.

"He is good," Egwene said grudgingly, but her face reeked of disapproval.

"I tell you what. I need to head back down to Ghaeldan," The Peddler said. "But with them Whitecloaks everywhere, it's not safe to ride alone, especially Peddlers and merchants. They catch me and they'll take my wares and money, a fine they'll call it. Just thieving if you ask me, but what can I do? Anyway, I let you show me how good you are with that and if you are good, I'll give it to you if you ride with me down to Ghaeldan. You know, escort."

Mat looked wary, stepping back. "I don't know," He started.

"Look boy, chances are that we won't see a single Whitecloak. But it's better to be a little cautious, just in case. I'm not asking you to fight for me, but just show off a little of your skill in front of them and maybe they'll decide that it isn't worth. The patrols only number up to four of five," The Peddler said, grimacing. "And Lord Logain will be real pleased with you. Might even give you a gift as thanks,"

"Lord Logain?" Perrin asked, stepping in with his arms folded, showing his bulging muscles from being a blacksmith apprentice.

"A minor Lord really, he lives on the border of Ghaeldan. I am in his service," The Peddler said and bowed slightly. "Gruthcomb is my name,"

"I'll come with you," Mat said abruptly. "Give me that Quarterstaff and I'll come and if any Whitecloak stops you, I'll beat them up!"

The Peddler looked startled but relieved, sweat dripping down his face. It was only then Rand could see how much Gruthcomb feared the Whitecloaks, if he would hire a young boy to ride guard.

"Mat!" Perrin hissed. "What about your father?"

Mat's face fell and the Peddler must have sensed some reluctance because his face grew desperate.

"Lord Logain will pay you! Ten Silvers, I guarantee it!" He said quickly.

Egwene drew in her breath sharply and even Perrin looked startled. To a man of Two Rivers, ten silvers was a lot of money. It was more money that a man might earn in six months in the fields or barns, and only if he was lucky.

"Ten silvers…I'll do it!" Mat agreed eagerly. "And the quarterstaff as well,"

"Deal." Gruthcomb agreed and held out his hand. Mat took it, shaking it with a beaming smile.

"What's this?" Came a high-pitched voice. It was Bodewin Cauthon, Mat's younger sister by two years. Anytime she found out Mat had done something wrong, she would immediately tell on him to their mother or Nynaeve. She was the reason he was caught so many times, she had a good nose for finding out what Mat liked to keep hidden. "Mat, what are you doing?" She asked, her dark eyes narrowed with suspicion. Her hair was not braided; she had not yet reached marriageable age.

Mat shifted on his feet but held his head squarely. "I'm going to be a merchant guard for Gruthcomb here, just for a little while. He's paying me ten silvers!"

Bodewin's mouth dropped open in surprise and shock. "Mat! Ooh, I'm telling Mother,"

"Fine! Tell her!" Mat said, scowling at her. "I was going to do so anyway." He followed her away from the van, still arguing with her.

"What about you?" Gruthcomb asked Perrin. "Want to go on an adventure boy? You'll be paid well and it will let you see some of the world!"

Perrin hesitated, shrugging uncomfortably.

"Why are you here anyway? The rest of the Peddlers have been gone six months," Egwene asked sharply.

Gruthcomb hesitated, his eyes darting left and right. "I…er…got separated from the rest of my friends."

"You're lying," Egwene said, crossing her arms and casting a dark look at him.

"Well, I…Um, you see…Look, I've got a package for my Lord." Gruthcomb said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "It's very rare and valuable and he wanted to immediately. I need to get it to him! Don't tell anybody!"

Egwene frowned. "So that's why you want guards, so the Whitecloaks don't try to take it? It makes more sense, I suppose. Why would Whitecloaks want this stuff anyway?"

"What is it?" Rand asked, and Gruthcomb shifted his eyes onto him, not missing the sword at his side, the heron-mark covered by a strip of cloth.

"It's a piece of parchment, very old." He said softly. Eyeing a man who was inspecting a small ceramic bowl, he put on a smile and boomed out in a jolly voice. "Interested in that good sir? It's three coppers, but for you I'll make it two!"

The man nodded, a farmer from the outlying regions if Rand recognised him properly, and paid the money to Gruthcomb, who put it into one of the large pockets sewn into his shirt and came back to Egwene, Perrin and Rand, wringing his hand nervously.

"Look, I've talked to your Village Council and they say that none of them would help me." He said, half-pleading. "Lord Logain wants this parchment and I had to pay a lot of his money to get it. If I return and get mugged by Whitecloaks or bandits…well, it would be better if I didn't."

"Rand! Perrin!" Mat called out, approaching with a grinning face. "My Pa's not to happy about it, but he's letting me go! He says that Ten Silvers is a lot of money and that I'm an grown up now and I should be making some money for myself."

"I'll ask my father and ask if I can come." Perrin said, sighing at Mat. "Light Mat, you're always dragging me into trouble. But I do have an axe and ten silvers is a lot of money…"

"You are both fools!" Egwene said angrily, stomping her foot on the ground. "Rand, can't you…Oh no, not you too!"

"You're both going to get yourselves killed," Rand said grimly. "I better come and make sure you don't. Besides, I've never been to Ghaeldan."

"Woolheaded fools," Egwene muttered as she stormed away.

Gruthcomb looked as if he were going to explode with happiness and relief. "I was planning on leaving tomorrow…but if that's not alright with you, I can wait."

"Tomorrow sounds good to me, my friend," Mat beamed, eyeing the quarterstaff. "I'll have a practise on the quarterstaff and get myself ready?"

"Of course, of course!" Gruthcomb bubbled and handed an eager Mat the quarterstaff. He took it eagerly and began to whirl it around, using all of his skill to impress and dazzle Gruthcomb.

"I better find my father," Perrin muttered to Rand. "What about yours? Will he let you go?"

"I think he will." Rand said. "He did let me go five years ago."

* * *

Tam had been slightly surprised at Rand's request to leave but had taken it in stride. He sat in his favourite chair, a book in his hands as he read under candlelight while Rand stood above him, a book clasped in one hand. 

"I don't claim to have any hold over you Rand," He said, his brows furrowed. "You can come and go as you please, you are an adult. Besides, if Mat and Perrin are going than you better look after them."

Rand nodded his thanks. "I better get together a quick travelling pack," He said.

Tam leaned back in his chair and looked up from his book as Rand turned to leave the room.

"Be careful and try to avoid the Whitecloaks. I don't want you getting hurt and gaining another scar," Tam said. Rand turned to leave and remmerbed the book in his hands.

"Here," Rand offered. He passed Tam the book. "You'll find it interesting, it's about Manetheran."

* * *

Up in his room, Rand frowned as he considered his pack. He would take his sword, of course, and a knife or two, with a few packs of clothes and a spare pair of boots as well. As he went to get his clothes from his wardrobe, his eyes picked out two objects that he hesitated over. One was the _cuendillar _hammer, which Rand took. Maybe Perrin would like that, he could use if for his smithing. The other item was rolled up in dark cloth, which contained six crystals of _Saidin_. If worse came to worse…maybe if he took two, just to be safe. 

As Rand settled into bed, he decided that if he were able to go through this trip successfully without his sickness bothering him too badly, he would go to Caemlyn after he returned to Two Rivers. Elayne probably thought he was dead and he missed her. Of course, Rand thought wryly, he wouldn't be missing her after she chewed him out for letting her think he was dead. But how could he send a message from Two Rivers, or when he had been with the Tinkers? Well, that was a problem he would deal with later.

* * *

The next morning, Rand bid Tam a farewell as he walked into the village at early dusk. He had long ago given Tam the horse he had bought to help with the farm, and he wouldn't dream asking for it back during the wet season, when Tam would need it the most. In took almost an twenty minutes to finally reach Emond's field and when he go there, the sun was rising and Gruthcomb waited beside his van with Mat and Perrin. Mat held his quarterstaff proudly while Perrin had an axe strapped to his waist, with a semi-circular blade and two spikes poking out at the other side. 

"You made that?" Rand asked Perrin, who was dressed in warm coat.

"Yeah," Perrin said as he lifted the axe. He grinned at Rand as he admired the axe.

"I have something for you." Rand said abruptly and reaching into his cloak. He unstrapped the hammer and pulled it out. Gruthcomb gasped at the solid white hammer, and Perrin took it gingerly, as if he were afraid to break it.

"That's…Light, I had heard descriptions but I had never seen Heartstone before," Gruthcomb muttered, his eyes wide as Perrin swung experimentally with the hammer.

"That's the unbreakable stuff from the stories?" Mat demanded, gesturing towards the hammer. "Hey, what did you get me?"

Rand hesitated at Mat's expectant face and quickly some battered but sturdy throwing knives, three in total. "You might need some blades," He offered. He knew it wasn't much compared to the hammer but Mat took them with a smile of thanks. He gazed at one of the knives and tilted it above his head.

"There's blood on this one," He declared, gazing at Rand with a glimmer of awe and respect.

"Oh," was all Rand said.

"Boys, are you ready to go?" Gruthcomb asked, tearing his eyes away from the _cuendillar_ hammer in Perrin's grip.

"Lead on Gruthcomb!" Mat said eagerly, and the Peddler van began to move as the Gruthcomb urged the horse to a slow trot.

"Where did you get this?" Perrin asked as he fell in beside Rand.

Rand shrugged evasively. "Oh, I found it." He answered.

* * *

"Daughter, tell me what you think of Lord Luc," Queen Morgase asked Elayne one night. 

Elayne looked up from her food, every bit of her body reflecting her royal bearing. Morgase had invited her for dinner, just the two of them, and they ate inside in a private room. Servants bustled in and out from inconspicuous doors as they bought in the finest foods and wine in Andor.

"I think he…is a nice person," Elayne said, taking a sip into her glass. "Very shy, sometimes nervous. But he is nice,"

"He bears no designs on the Royal Throne then?" Morgase asked calmly.

"I do not think so," Elayne answered slowly, a slight frown forming. "He holds you in the greatest respect, he had heard how you prevented a civil war when Tigraine vanished. But he does not like the Aes Sedai."

"It is understandable, he was lured from Caemlyn and lost two decades of his life because of one." Morgase said. She took a bite from a piece of cheese and swallowed as she fixed her daughter with a look. "How does Galad get on with him?"

"They are formal with one another, but you know Galad. He will do what is right and leave emotion at the door." Elayne said, wrinkling her nose at the mention of her half-brother. "But Galad does appreciate that Luc is his uncle, and Luc does seem to dote on him when he gets the chance."

"I think Lord Luc is harmless." Morgase said. "But he also poses a threat. Not all of the Houses supported me when I gained the throne and there are those who might manipulate Luc into contesting my claim. His blood is purer than mine, he has more royal blood pumping in his veins than either of us."

"He is a man, Andor has had a King," Elayne protested lightly.

Morgase nodded. "But what if he married? His wife could contest you for the throne when I die, and there will be war."

"Surely…they would not do that, would they?" Elayne asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Maybe," Morgase said, sipping her wine unconcerned. "On the subject of marriage, let us talk about yours. Who do you think you will marry? Do you have any choices at this very moment?"

Elayne frowned, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands on her lap. "I always thought that…Rand and I might have had something…" Her voice trailed off.

Morgase sighed in sympathy. "It would have not been the first time that a Queen married a commoner," She said. "But Rand al'Thor is dead. What do you think of marriage now?"

"You want me to marry Lord Luc?" Elayne asked, smiling wryly with a touch of bitterness. "Just as you married Tigraine's husband to secure your claim on the throne. You want me to secure my claim,"

"He is forty years old," Morgase said. "He is of Royal blood, handsome, meek, polite…he would make a find choice. It would not be permanent, likely he would be dead in twenty or thirty years,"

"Are you asking for my choice, or telling me what you have decided?" Elayne asked, a touch of anger in her voice. When Morgase said nothing, Elayne saw the truth in her eyes and stood up quickly, placing her goblet on the table and stalking from the room in fury.

Morgase stared after her and sighed. "You will come around daughter," She muttered to herself. "If you ever want to be Queen, you will come around."


	21. Ghaeldan: Battles, Wolves and Logain

**A/N- With the Lord Logain thing, yes, he is the false dragon from the books. Right now, he hasn't started his little crusade. About the Lord part, if I recall correctly he was a minor Lord in Ghaeldan, minor but still a Lord.**

**With the question, some people say it does and some say it doesn't block Saidin. I read back to one of the later books and know that it 'melts' the weaves that touch it directly, but doesn't stop the effects of weaves that have already been made, i.e., Mat is struck and killed by Saidin lightning in book five, Elayne and Nynaeve lifts and throws pebbles at him with Saidar. If somebody can tell me of a page number and a book where the fox head either prevents or allows Saidin, I'd be very grateful.

* * *

**

_Note: to the one reviewer who commented that the crystals wouldn't hold much Saidin, you're right. Maybe one or two weaves at most, and not very powerful ones at that. But, you can quench the urge to draw in Saidin by holding the crystal and drawing in the Saidin without using it.

* * *

_

The Peddler van had entered the northern borders of Ghaeldan two weeks after they had departed from the Two Rivers. First they had gone north to the only crossing over the river nearby. The Mountains of Mist on the west sheltered the Two Rivers, with woods surrounding them. These mountains were almost impossible to travel over, if fact, nobody in the Two Rivers had even tried for centuries. To the east was the Waterwood, a boggy marsh that was impossible to cross. To the south was at the White River, a large river with no bridges or crossings at all. So Tavern Ferry was the only crossing out of Two Rivers.

The town of Tavern Ferry had impressed Mat and Perrin. It was not as large as Baerlon even, but to the isolated villagers of Two Rivers it was huge and imposing. No walls surrounded the town but two towers stood at the entrance, built of aged stone.

"Those towers there were once Manetheran's towers and there were once hundreds of them. But in the Trolloc Wars the Trollocs destroyed most of them as they razed and destroyed all they could find," Gruthcomb had told Perrin and Mat, who listened eagerly as they waited for the Ferry that would take them west and onto the road to Ghaeldan.

* * *

So, fourteen days later the Peddler Van had entered the Ghaeldan border as the sun was reaching its peak. Rand didn't see what Mat had been so excited about; to him the forests and trees that had seen since departing were the same as Two Rivers. They hadn't passed any towns; Gruthcomb had taken pains to avoid all other life. During the nights, Rand would teach Mat some of the simple songs he knew on the flute. Mat picked them up easily enough and never stopped playing the flute, unless he was practising his quarterstaff against Perrin. He was very fast and quick with it, while Perrin was a lot slower and often received whacks on his bare skin. 

Perrin was a lot more suited for the axe and even the hammer. His strength was double that of Mat's and even Rand's, and he could use his heavy axe with his right hand while wielding the hammer in his left hand. Often Rand would teach Perrin the few sword stances he knew that used two blades, and Perrin would adapt them to suit his needs. Sometimes, as Rand watched Perrin practise with vigour, he would almost pity any Whitecloaks Perrin might come across.

"We're past the border," Gruthcomb said abruptly, squinting into the distance. "Do you see that ridge over on the horizon? When you can see that, you know you in Ghaeldan." He sat on top of the van, holding the reigns to the horse while Rand, Mat and Perrin walked alongside it. Rand was feeling a little tired, more tired than he should have, but it was nothing compared to what he had been like just as he came to the Two Rivers.

Mat looked eager and excited, almost jumping up and down on his feet. "So, where's the town we're going to?" He asked.

"Only a day from here," Gruthcomb said, a relieved smile coming on his sweaty face. He looked far more calm than he had when he had hired Rand, Mat and Perrin, and his face no longer carried the tense lines and frowns. "We made it boys. Maybe the reports were just rumours, I haven't seen a single Whitecloak at all."

"Oh well, the trip was well and fine," Mat said, his eyes sparkling. "Hey Perrin! What are you going to do with your ten silvers?"

Perrin looked up, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Did any of you hear that?" He asked, frowning in confusion.

"There's nothing there Perrin," Rand said, for the seventh time today. Lately, Perrin claimed he had been hearing things and once he claimed to have smelt a rotting deer carcass that had been a five minutes walk away.

"Perrin?" Mat asked again.

"I'll probably save it. I might see if I can buy some good silver from the merchants and make my mother something in the forge, maybe a brooch or a necklace." Perrin said.

Mat scoffed. "I'm going to find an Inn and get somebody to teach me the dice. Of course, there'll be a pretty barmaid to serve my drinks."

* * *

Perrin shook his head, hiding a small grin. Mat could sometimes be a shameless flirt. Suddenly his head lifted into the air and he sniffed, cocking his head as if he were listening to something. He could hear them, or see them…it was confusing. They were all around him, curious and excited. Images flashed through his mind when 'they' tried to talk. It was hard to convey the images to words, but Perrin felt he was getting better. 

Light! What was he thinking, getting better? He could hear voices; see things he hadn't seen before! Maybe…maybe he was like Rand, maybe he was going insane because he could channel! He had tried to block off the voices that had appeared once the party had left Tavern Ferry, and sometimes it worked. Other times it didn't and he was forced to listen to Night Eyes brag about his kill to his mate, could see the thick legs that moved him forward and feel the excitement and adrenaline rushing through him as he jumped through a set of bushes, his teeth gleaming and white as he lunged at a startled deer's neck…taste the tangy blood and the delicious meat…NO!

Perrin shook those thoughts out of his head, growling softly under his breath. He was a human! Maybe it would stop once he got back to the Two Rivers, he could only hope. But right now, images were flashing through his head, two legs were coming on beasts with four legs. There were only a few of them, but in front of the party hundreds of two legs were moving on their beasts. Another image flashed in his mind, brilliant white and a shining sun…and Perrin suddenly knew that 'they' were trying to tell him!

* * *

"What about you Rand?" Mat asked, wiping his sweaty brow. "What will you buy?" 

"Passage to Caemlyn, maybe Fal Dara and Tar Valon." Rand answered. "I have friends there that I need to see,"

Mat whistled. "Tar Valon? You'd go to the home of the Aes Sedai? You've heard the stories of them, you know, burning villages that annoyed them and whipping kings and queens that displease them!"

Rand snorted. "I've only known two Aes Sedai, but the stories are lies. No Aes Sedai wants to annoy a King or Queen lest they evict the Aes Sedai from their borders, like Amadicia."

"Rand, somebodies coming." Perrin suddenly said abruptly.

Rand and Mat turned to face Perrin and the Peddler van slowed to a stop as Gruthcomb watched Perrin with worry. For a moment, all three could have sworn they had seen a golden glint to Perrin's eyes but when he looked up, dark eyes stared back with determination.

"They are coming, from behind and in front of us." He said with such certainty that Gruthcomb whimpered slightly. "Whitecloaks."

"How many?" Rand asked slowly, eying Perrin strangely.

"Coming towards us from the rear…maybe seven or eight." Perrin answered; aware of the incredulous and disbelieving looks Mat was giving him. "In front of us, hundreds."

"How can you be sure?" Mat demanded.

Perrin hesitated. "Look, they're coming!" He said finally. "Believe me or not,"

"They can't find us!" Gruthcomb burst out, his eyes panicked and wild. "They'll take my van, say it's for the Light. And If I refuse…I'll be a Darkfriend and they'll hang me! They've done it before!"

"What is it that you have that is so important that you don't want Whitecloaks having it?" Mat suddenly demanded, whirling on the Peddler, who mopped at his sweaty brow with a grubby handkerchief.

"I told you, a rare and authentic parchment. A thousand years old at least, maybe two thousand." Gruthcomb snapped angrily, but he was looking decidedly nervous and he kept squinting behind him and in front of him, looking for any Whitecloaks.

"What's on it?" Rand asked.

Gruthcomb hesitated and that was enough for Rand.

"What do Whitecloaks hate? Darkfriends and Aes Sedai. So you must have something that relates to one or the other."

"It's an unedited original version of one of the Prophecies of the Dragon Reborn." Gruthcomb suddenly said. Mat flinched and Rand winced at that.

* * *

The Dragon Reborn was supposedly the reincarnation of the original Dragon three thousand years ago, who led the forces of light against the forces of darkness. When the Dragon was reborn, the Dark One would begin to break the seals on his prison and eventually would be set free. Then the Dragon would fight him at Shayol Ghul. Nobody knew whether the Dark One or the Dragon Reborn would win, the prophecies didn't say. 

There had been men claiming to be the Dragon Reborn in the past, some of them had been able to channel and some hadn't. People had flocked to them and they had been known as False Dragons, bringers of war and destruction. According to the Prophecies, there were several key factors that would determine the true Dragon Reborn. He would be born on the slopes of Dragonmount, the mountain where the original Dragon had died. The Dragon Reborn would also take over Tear. Many False Dragons had tried and had failed. Inside of the Stone of Tear was a crystal sword, known as _Callandor_, the sword that could only be drawn by the true Dragon. Whoever possessed _Callandor _was the Dragon Reborn.

Hardly anything else was known to most of the world. The most ominous prophecy known as that the Dragon Reborn would break the world again. Three thousand years ago, just when _Saidin _had been tainted, men had drawn in the power and had destroyed towns, cities, mountains and even islands. Ocean flooded in the land and earth was lifted from the oceans. Humankind was bought to the brink of extinction and most technology and knowledge was lost forever. The Dragon Reborn was doomed to break the world again, just after saving it from the Dark One.

* * *

"Why would…?" Mat began just as thundering hooves sounded from around the bend. Eight horses appeared, galloping madly. When the head of the company noticed the Peddler Van he raised his hands and the horses snorted, slowing to a trot as their riders came closer. The leader jumped down from his horse, dressed in typical Whitecloak garb. He wore a pure white vest and cloak, with a golden sun ensign stitched on the right breast and the back of the cloak. A gleaming silver helmet lay on his head and chain mail rand down the mans thighs, over white trousers. Peeks of chain mail could also be seen through the man's cloak and his dark eyes regarded the group imperiously. 

"A Peddler?" He asked, his voice deep and throaty. "Have you come to pay for the Light's glorious expedition?"

"Nay, Light-walker," Gruthcomb said, his nervousness plainly seen as he wrung his hands together from the top of the Peddler Van. "I bear my Lords profits from the North."

"Well, your van and profits will unfortunately, need to serve the light. Andor and its Darkfriend witches are plotting to destroy the Light, and all that is holy and good." The Whitecloak drawled. "I take that there is not a problem with this?"

Gruthcomb opened his mouth and hesitated, just as Mat glared at the Whitecloak with fire in his eyes.

"Yes, there is a problem!" He said angrily

Perrin shook his head in resignation and even Rand stifled a sigh. Mat didn't seem to notice as he and the Whitecloak stared off at each other, the Whitecloaks hand drifting towards a sword and Mat holding his quarterstaff by his side.

"Child Verom, Child Javerl, approach the van and take what ever you think is valuable." The Whitecloak ordered. As two Whitecloaks disengaged from their group and approached the van, the man smiled humourlessly. "It is for the Light," He said.

Mat said nothing but as the two men approached, hands on their swords, his quarterstaff blurred. He slammed the pole into one man's head and jabbed the other end into the other mans stomach. Both men kneeled over as Mat slammed the quarterstaff down on their backs and sent them sprawling to the ground.

Perrin growled angrily, whether at Mat or the Whitecloaks, and as the leader drew his sword and the rest of the men advanced, he opened his cloak and lifted his axe with one hand and the hammer with the other. Rand drew his sword and moved into a defensive stance as Mat shot the leader a cocky grin.

"So, you do not serve the light," The leader mused. Gruthcomb began to stutter out something but the leader raised his hand and he fell silent. "If you drop your weapons, we will be merciful. No man may walk so long under the shadow that he may not come back to the light."

Rand didn't say anything and either did Perrin or Mat. The leader sighed and gestured, and there were five simultaneous scrapes of swords being unsheathed. Mat suddenly looked a bit nervous as if he finally realised what he had gotten himself into, while Perrin looked grim and Rand sought the Void, emotion fleeing as he calmed his mind and body. His sword tingled in his hands, he could feel every single particle of the blade and it was bound to him, tighter than any limb.

"The Children of the Light will advance and kill whoever tries to delay and halt the progress of light!" The captain called loudly. Five men walked forward, swords out. Three men had large shields, while one man carried a bow on his back.

"Rand?" Mat asked, his confidence gone as he swallowed. But his hands remained firm and steady as he held his quarterstaff out in front of him "What do we do?"

"I don't suppose that there is any chance of you getting back on your horses and leaving us and the van alone, is there?" Rand asked the leader, who stood back and watched with a cold smile. "No, I didn't think so,"

With a quick flick of his sword, Rand jumped forward, the blade clashing against one of the Whitecloaks swords. Instantly he was a flurry of movements as he duelled with three men at once. With a roar, Perrin also jumped forward, his axe slashing through the air and his hammer raised and met the fourth Whitecloak. Mat hesitated, but groaned and confronted the fifth man. His quarterstaff whirled and smashed into the man, sending him staggering but not damaging his armour or sword.

Rand's sword whirled and flicked. Swallow takes the Branch met River under Rock, before Rand had to step back as another blade whizzed through the air, intent on cleaving his head from his shoulders. Mountain Falls slammed into a shield, and for a second there was a grinding noise as the shield cracked where the blade had struck it, just as Rand sidestepped and sliced his sword over his shoulders. He knocked a blade from the way and the tip of his sword met the exposed and meaty flesh of somebodies neck. For a second the man stood there, dazed and puzzled. Confusion flooded into his eyes and suddenly he was a man who knew death had come for him and panic twisted his features, fear and horror shining in his eyes as blood leaked from his wound. Life fled from the man and he fell to the ground with the limpness of death, his blank eyes staring out into a world of death. Rand didn't feel anything, no shock or disgust or pleasure, his mind wrapped in the void as he confronted the other two men.

* * *

Mat whirled his quarterstaff, thrust and jabbing it as he moved forward, a small grin on his face. For a moment he could pretend that he was at Bel Tine, and sparring with his father and friends. He laughed a laugh of enjoyment as he struck the Whitecloak again, knocking the man aside. The Whitecloak shook his head, shaking of the after-effects of a blow to the head, and with a roar of anger, lunged at Mat. 

Mat stopped laughing as he glimpsed the pure fury and rage in the eyes in front of him. The man wanted to see him die, and without a second thought Mat dropped to one knee and jabbed with his quarterstaff, the end smashing into the man's stomach. There was an audible snapping noise and the man howled with agony as he staggered back. He dropped his sword, glaring furiously at Mat and with one hand clutching his ribs; he withdrew a belt knife and lifted his arm back, preparing to throw it. Mat was quicker and with a well-practised speed, a dagger appeared in his hand and he lunged it at the man.

The man dropped his knife, his eyes staring at the dagger implanted into his chest, and without any other sound he dropped to the ground, death already upon him. Mat breathed hard for a second, his eyes wide with shock. What had he done? But determination and stubbornness shook his shock away and he grabbed his quarterstaff, read to fight again. Suddenly he saw a looming figure approaching Rand. Without another thought, Mat hurled a knife.

* * *

Perrin roared angrily, his axe slamming into a thick metal shield. Splinters of metal broke away as the man in front of him screamed, his arm probably broken by the force of such a blow. His sword flashed widely and Perrin grunted as something sharp tore away at his shirt. Blood stained his skin as the sword left a shallow slash on his shoulder. With a growl he lifted his hammer and swung it at the man, while he jabbed the head of his axe at the shield again. The man cringed as the broken arm holding the shield bent backwards but ducked the flying hammer and moved forward, his sword raised high. The next hammer blow struck the shield and the _cuendillar _proved its worth. The shield bent backwards and folded inwards, snapping like a twig at the force and material of the hammer. The man screamed again as the axe flashed and the spiked end dug into the man's head. Perrin was gasping for breath as he removed his axe and turned to the other sounds of fighting. He didn't feel any regret or shock or horror. Just a faint pleasure that the rival pack-wolf was dead…and approval clouded his mind as wolves howled in the distance. The Whitecloak leader was approaching Rand from behind, his sword raised and Perrin reacted.

* * *

Rand ducked a wild blow and stabbed his sword deep into the shield in front of him. The _Saidin _enhanced blade tingled as the particles that made up the structure of the blade hardened, and the man gurgled from behind the shield as the sword stabbed into him, breaking through the shield and planting itself into his ribs. There was movement at the corner of Rand's eyes and he ducked, letting go of his sword. The man with the shield toppled, the sword binding both of the together, as the last man swung at Rand's head. He missed and gave a shout of surprise as Rand lunged at him, elbows and knees striking into weak areas of the body as Rand used all of his Aiel teachings. A fist planted itself in the man's stomach and Rand felt a tinge of pain inside the Void as he struck chain mail, but the man still gasped as the breath was knocked out of his body. A knee came into the groin, a foot cracking a kneecap and a palm slamming the man's nose back into his brain. Rand panted for breath, looking around. Mat and Perrin were looking behind him with horror and warning on the tips of their tongues, Perrin sprinting towards him, and Rand whirled around. 

The Leader stood there, blade raised and ready to impale Rand. There was no way for him to dodge, nowhere Rand could go to avoid or escape the sword. As the leader bought the blade down, Rand stiffened and stood strong, his hands curling into fists as he prepared to deal one last blow, when a knife flashed over Rand's shoulder. The Leader gave a short scream of agony as a knife stabbed into his shoulder just as an enormous roar echoed from behind Rand and a blur streaked forward. Perrin used his shoulder to push the man back, fury etched onto his normally calm and pleasant face. The leader was thrown to the ground as Perrin lifted his axe and ended the battle with a dull thud.

Rand stared at Perrin, glancing between him and the dead Whitecloak. Perrin was breathing heavily but a familiar light glowed in his eyes, the light on one who enjoys the rush of battle. Rand was positive that his eyes flashed a golden colour again, but he didn't care.

"Thankyou," He said, with as much gratitude he could muster in his weary state.

Perrin continued to breath deeply but managed a weak smile.

"What about me?" Mat protested, grimacing as he dug a knife out of a Whitecloak's body. For a moment he stared at the wet dark blood at the end of the short blade, his eyes slightly wide and dazed. He then wiped it on the Whitecloaks trousers and placed it in his sheath.

"Thankyou as well Mat," Rand said. "You saved my life, both of you,"

Mat gave a weak grin. "Well, without you we would have been killed…so fairs fair,"

"Are they gone?" Somebody whispered and Gruthcomb peaked over the Peddler van. His eyes bulged at the sight of the dead Whitecloaks and he started moaning.

"No, no, no! Every Whitecloak in Ghaeldan will be searching for us now!"

"Then we better remove the bodies," Rand said calmly, yanking his blade from the shield and chest of a Whitecloak. His mind was still wrapped in the Void and emotions flittered at the edge of it, disgust at the sight of broken bodies, slight pain in his hand and the slight resignation that he had killed a human being again.

"Too late!" Mat said tightly, pointing down the other road. In the fight, Perrin had forgotten the other company of Whitecloaks and now hundreds of horses and men advanced as dots on the landscape. One of them pointed at them, he probably had a looking glass, and suddenly the horses went into a gallop.

"Gruthcomb, we need to leave!" Rand called urgently

"My van…" The man blubbered as he jumped off the rood, slightly green when confronting the bodies.

"There's not time!" Perrin snarled. Mat blinked at the tone of his voice but it didn't seem to hinder Gruthcomb who dove into his van and remerged a few seconds later with a box in his hands.

"Where do we go?" Mat asked Rand anxiously.

The Whitecloaks stampeded closer and Rand grabbed him, pushing him into the trees that surrounded the road. Snaps and cracks of twigs behind him told him that Perrin and Gruthcomb had followed. Together, Rand and Mat dove and darted in between trees. They ran for a full five minutes, crossing a small stream and diving behind a large tree trunk, panting for breath.

"Do you think they'll find us?" Mat mouthed to Rand, who frowned.

"They can't use horses to get into the trees…but they have a lot of men to search with. We need to hope that they are urgently needed somewhere, and they can't waste time looking for us." Rand whispered back. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around and noticed something. "Mat, where's Gruthcomb and Perrin?"

Mat jerked his head and looked beyond the trees, "Blood and Ashes!" He swore.

* * *

Lord-Captain Wentrelli frowned in disgust at the mangled bodies in front of him. Six children of the light lay dead, another two with broken spines. Only Darkfriends would dare attack a man who walked under the light. An empty Peddler van lay on the road, the mare snorting nervously at the two hundred horses in front of it. 

"Child Janill," He called out. "Have you found anything?"

"Tracks, my Lord. There are maybe three or four people and they extend into the forest. They probably saw us coming the same time we saw them," A scarred-faced man with one eye growled.

"We are needed at our camp in the Mountains of Mist," Wentrelli said, frowning. "We cannot delay, the Witches are using Andor as a puppet for its designs and we must free Queen Morgase in the name of the Light. We cannot tally here,"

"My Lord, they murdered Children of the Light!" Janill growled in protest.

"You will stay here with twenty lances and track them down. Find them and execute them for their crimes. Lieutenant Prarld, your unit will accompany Child Janill and will hunt down these Darkfriends. The rest of the legion will advance at a gallop!'

* * *

Perrin peered between two trees as horses thundered past. It was like a storm with continuous thunder and Perrin had to squeeze his hands over his ears as he watched the Whitecloaks leave. Soon they were gone and silence descended over the forest. The birds started singing again, quietly and slowly, as Perrin peered out again. He stiffened and drew back quickly as he saw two dozen or so Whitecloaks on horses, muttering to each other. They seemed to be discussing something and as Perrin watched, six of them went into the forest on the left and six went into the forest on the right, where Perrin was. The other eight or so started setting up a small temporary camp around the abandoned and deserted Peddler van. 

_We are here_

Perrin stiffened as he saw a flit of images, his mind automatically translating them for him. He slowly turned around and saw a large wolf, with a grey gleaming coat of fur and two yellow eyes. Perrin didn't move an inch, his breathing laboured and his legs shaking. A wolf was right behind him! Carefully and slowly, he reached for his axe, that on his belt and the wolf frowned.

_We do not seek to harm you, Brother_

Perrin froze. He had just deciphered a wolf's expression and it was talking to him.

"You're the voices I've been hearing?" He spluttered out in amazement. Light, what was happening to him?

_Come. I will take you to Pack._

"Where are the others? There were other humans, do you know where they are?" Perrin asked desperately.

_Your pack is in hiding_. _They are safe. Come!_

As the wolf trotted away, Perrin hesitated but heard the crashing of twigs and branches as the Whitecloaks came ever closer. He had nothing to lose, so he quickly darted after the wolf.

* * *

"Gruthcomb!" Mat whispered sharply. The man in question was crawling on the ground, dirt and twigs stuck to his clothes. His face was sweaty, his stomach heaving and his eyes were wild and fearful. 

"They're tracking us! Six of them!" He hissed as he crawled on his belly, working his way closer towards the tree where they hid. "Help me! They're behind me!"

"Halt Darkfriend!" Came a cold and loud voice. A Whitecloak sneered at Gruthcomb as he and five other companions followed the man out form the trees.

Rand and Mat pressed themselves against the trees as the Whitecloak who had spoken nodded approvingly at another.

"Good work Janill," He praised. A scarred face man with one eye bowed at the compliment, then grimaced as he looked at Gruthcomb.

"Where are the others?" The Whitecloak demanded. He had blue eyes, his face hidden behind a helmet, and his eyes were cold and hard. "Where are the other Darkfriends?"

"I…I don't know! Help!" Gruthcomb shouted loudly, before he grunted as one of the Whitecloaks kicked him sharply in the stomach.

"What are their names? Where did they come from? Where are they?" The man continued. Gruthcomb said nothing and he motioned with his head, jerking at the Peddlers direction.

Gruthcomb suddenly screamed and Rand tightened his grip on his sword. He held out three things and nudged Mat, who was looking pale and wide-eyed but determined and angry. He flashed the fingers, and then exaggeratedly put down one, then the other. He nodded once and motioned to his sword and jerked his head towards the Whitecloaks. Mat nodded and held out his hand. Three fingers…

"Stop it! Please, I'll tell you anything!"

"Where are they? Where did they come from? What are their names?"

Two fingers…

"I-I don't know…Please…Alright, alright! Don't do it again!"

One finger

"They…come from the Two Rivers, it's in Andor! Please…don't hurt me…no!"

Rand and Mat burst out from behind the tree, sword and quarterstaff out. A Whitecloak spun around just as Rand skewered him with his sword, kicking the body off and slashing the face of another Whitecloak nearby. Mat was whirling his quarterstaff with vigour and fury, wood smashing into knees, elbows and heads. He jabbed the end of the quarterstaff at the scarred-faced man, who roared as his last eye was struck. As he staggered around blindly, Mat jabbed the other end into one of the Whitecloaks throat. There was a loud snap as the man fell down limply.

Rand severed an arm, blood spraying from the wound, and as the man screamed in agony he thrust the blade into his heart. Pulling it out, he whirled around and with Hammer on Anvil, cut open his head, killing him instantly. The only Whitecloak left was the man whose face he had slashed, and he disappeared into the woods as Rand turned to face him.

Mat stared down at Gruthcomb in pity and horror. The peddler was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from three stumps that were once fingers. Rand absently wandered if the Whitecloak had cut the fingers off as Mat was miming with his, and he gently picked the bleeding and weeping man up.

"Light, they're animals!" Mat growled with disgust and horror.

Rand said nothing as he frowned. "We still haven't found Perrin," He said.

"He'll probably go back to the wagon," Mat said.

"We'll go to the wagon then, but we'll have to be quiet. One of them got away and he'll be back with others." Rand warned. "Mat, help him up."

* * *

The wolf continued his pace through the forest, trotting happily with his tongue wagging out. Perrin had to jog to keep up with it as the wolf jumped over fallen logs and avoided whipping branches. Perrin wasn't so lucky and many a time he received a branch that whipped him across the face, or stumbled over a moss-covered log. At these times the wolf would turn to him and if Perrin hadn't known better, would laugh or snicker at him. 

"Oh shut up!" Perrin snapped at one point as a branch whipped in his face, leaving a stinging mark.

The wolf stopped and turned its head; it's golden eyes gazing into Perrin's own.

_I heard that Two-legs were clumsy and slow and you prove me right_

Actually, it was a flicker of images. _'Two legs'_ was a faint outline of a standing man; _'heard'_ had been a wolf cocking its ears, _'clumsy and slow' _had been an exaggerated image of a wolf continually falling over nothing and slowly standing back up again, and _'right' _had been the wolf in front of him standing proudly and smugly.

"Are we close?" Perrin asked.

_Why do you use bark?_

Perrin frowned, but suddenly the wolf jumped into the foliage and when Perrin growled angrily and followed him through, he appeared in a small clearing in the centre of a pack of wolves. Large wolves, small wolves, wolves with grey in their fur, wolves with brown in their fur, wolves with golden eyes and wolves with gleaming teeth, they were there, at least two dozen of them. They stared at him, regarding him speculatively as the wolf that had led him here joined the pack.

_I am Night Eyes _

The largest wolf in the clearing stepped forward. His fur was had a faded grey sheen to it and a nasty scar had been torn into his flank. Still, his eyes gleamed with intelligence and the look of a predator, one who was confident in taking down his prey.

"I'm Perrin," Perrin introduced himself slowly. In some part of his mind, he marvelled at the sheer absurdity of what he was doing. Light, he was talking to wolves! And they were talking back!

The wolf frowned, Perrin didn't even want to know how he knew what a frowning wolf looked like, and tilted its head, eyeing Perrin with what could be regarded as puzzlement.

_You bark loudly Brother. Speak like this_

"I don't know how," Perrin said.

_Learn._

Perrin suddenly felt images flash through his mind, a continual barrage that almost made him drop to his knees as light, sound, colour and smell assaulted him. He clutched his head into his hands and he could suddenly _feel _the wolves around him, their tightly coiled emotions and just their presence.

_I do not know how!_ Perrin suddenly stopped, amazed, and he touched his head with trembling hands.

_We have long memories. We do not forget the times when Brothers hunted at our side, even if they do_

_What's happening to me?_

_You are wolf-brother. _The wolf said so obviously that it was clear that it made perfect sense to the wolf.

_There are two-legs hunting me and pack._ Perrin communicated, his mind whirling as he spun out the images that made up the wolf language easily.

_You have pack? _Night Eyes said, sniffing Perrin closely. Perrin held still as the wolf came right up to him, his nose brushing against Perrin's clothing until it reached his axe. _Strange teeth you bear. You will be Young Bull. _

Perrin could suddenly see an image of himself as depicted by the wolf, a two-legs with two shiny spikes sticking from his head. As Night Eyes continued sniffing, his nose reached the white hammer and he yelped out loud, jumping backwards.

_Shadowkiller! Shadowkiller is pack?_

"Shadowkiller?" Perrin asked out loud, frowning in puzzlement. The other wolfs shifted and Perrin could feel a direct sense of awe and respect emanating from them

_Who used your hard-tooth?_

"This was Rand's." Perrin answered blankly, before frowning and concentrating. _Pack-mate._

_Pack-mate is Shadowkiller. _Night Eyes thought. _Shadowkiller fight Slayer at dark peak to save cubs_

_Shadowkiller is in danger! _Perrin communicated desperately. _Sun-holding Two Legs hunt pack_

Night Eyes growled softly, his hackles rising up. He suddenly howled and Perrin could feel the fury that burnt from him, the utter rage that somewhere would dare hunt Shadowkiller. Light, what had Rand done to make the wolves think this of him?

_They approach. Come, hunt with us_

Perrin unhooked his axe and hammer and as the wolf pack suddenly howled together with collective rage and anger, Night Eyes broke into a trot. Perrin ran beside him, his axe and hammer high as adrenaline and the rapidly becoming familiar sense of battle-lust, a roaring tide in his veins. As he sprinted with the wolf next to him, he felt a sense of belonging and enjoyment as side-by-side, wolf and human darted between trees and under branches. Suddenly six figures on foot came into view. Night Eyes howled angrily as they fumbled with their swords and lances, just as Night Eyes jumped at ones throat and Perrin howled loudly himself, his axe and hammer swishing into the air.

* * *

"There's eight of them, and twenty horses between them." Mat said grimly. "Light, we're doomed." 

"We killed five of them, so that leaves fifteen. There's nine down there, so six of them must be looking for Perrin," Rand said calmly, his mind wrapped and contained within the Void. His sword tingled, light just beyond his reach glowed around it. _Saidin _beckoned him, but as usual Rand ignored it as a futile and useless hope. He had been gentled, every time he tried to draw that _Saidin _it slipped away through the crack in his mind.

Suddenly a lone wolf howl echoed over the road. Horses snorted and stirred as the nine Whitecloaks guarding the Peddler van hurriedly moved to calm them down. Rand could see the man with the slash on his face being treated by a sour faced Shienaran, grimacing and flinching every time the Shienaran Whitecloak touched the cut. Eventually he pushed the other man's hand away irritably and stood up, his hand clenching around a sword. Seven of the nine Whitecloaks carried short bows, arrows nocked and ready.

"What do we do?" Gruthcomb asked fearfully. His good hand was clutched around the small box he had taken from his van, which Rand assumed contained the prophecy that this Lord Logain wanted so much, while his bleeding hand was wrapped in a bloodied hankerchief.

"We wait until we get a good chance," Rand told him.

"But…they're not looking this way. We could…couldn't we just slip down the road?"

"What about Perrin?" Mat snapped angrily.

Gruthcomb fidgeted. "Well, Um...it's to say that the poor man is probably…"

He was interrupted by a flurry of wolf howls. They were somewhere on the other side of the road, and the horses snorted, agitated and upset. Suddenly a loud human pitched loudly before being cut off without another sound. Rand and Mat watched as the Whitecloaks quickly aimed their bows towards the tree line, their backs facing Rand and Mat.

"We should go now!" Mat whispered suddenly. "They're not looking at us?"

Gruthcomb moaned a pleading denial but Rand ignored him as he gestured for Mat to follow him. The both of them crept down the slope, past the trees and stepped onto the road. The howls continued, a flurry of anger and the pleasure of the hunt, and they kept the Whitecloaks towards the tree line, their bows raised and arrows nocked. The howls were getting closer and closer and the man with the scar on his face was visibly arguing with the Shienaran. Suddenly he leapt onto his horse, dropping his sword, and dug in his heels amidst the protests of his fellow Whitecloaks. The horse bolted down the road, trailing after the other legion, just as grey streaks burst from the trees. Rand only got a glimpse of Perrin, his eyes definitely golden and holding a blood-coated axe and a shiny white hammer as he jumped forward with the grace of a wolf. Speaking of wolves…a pack of them followed Perrin from the tree line as they howled in a symphony of battle cries, jumping for the Whitecloaks.

Arrows flew as the Whitecloaks let loose a volley, and three wolves crumpled to the ground with wooden shafts sticking from their heads. Perrin visibly growled at that and swung his axe, cleaving a man's head off.

"Light!" Mat breathed in horror as the wolves tore through the unprepared men, most who never got a chance to reach for a second arrow. Even Rand winced as wolves tore into their throats, blood matting their fur. Most of the wolves went for the horses, which were snorting and screaming loudly, rearing up as wolves surrounded them. Some managed to break free of their restrains and bolt away, but one or two grey streaks always followed them. In the distance, Rand could see the newly scar-faced man watch from a distance, before he gave a silent yell and urged his horse on.

"Perrin!" Mat called out, flinching as three snarling wolves moved forward. Suddenly they stopped and backed away, their ears dropped and their tails wagging slowly. They wined, almost as if they were apologising, and Perrin looked up. His eyes were golden all right, alight with an animal instinct. He stood in front of the pony that towed the Peddler Van, which was extremely nervous and still.

"Mat? Rand?" Perrin called out, his voice rough and guttural. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Are you alright?  
"Light Perrin, what is going on?" Mat asked in a wavering voice as both he and Rand moved towards Perrin. The smell of blood and raw meat stank in the air, but Rand ignored it because of the Void and Mat ignored it because he was a farmer and such smells were no unusual for him. A grey-furred wolf with a scar on his flank looked up from one of the horse carcases and trotted towards the pair, a slab of bloody meet in his jaws.

"He's asking if you want some Rand," Perrin suddenly said.

Mat stared at him incredulously and disbelievingly and Rand eyed him strangely.

"Tell him that I'll pass." He said. He grimaced as he stepped over the body of a mangled human, his face unrecognisable, and eyed the wolves surrounding the area. "Perrin, is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Perrin shifted on his feet nervously but explained what had happened. At the end, Mat was staring at him with a horrified look in his eyes.

"You can talk to wolves?" He asked.

Rand, however, was frowning. "Where have I heard that before?" He murmured to himself. "Ah, that's right!"

When Perrin and Mat looked at him, he shrugged. "I was once travelling with an Aes Sedai and she was telling me a lot about the White Tower, and how she got there and how she grew up. One day she was describing the Red Ajah and mentioned that not only went after men who could channel. Any man with any sort of talent or something out of the ordinary was subject to them. Anyway, Alanna was telling Huin…a friend who was with us…how a warder had once discovered that he could talk to wolves. The Red Ajah wanted to gentle him and he flat out called them Darkfriends and escaped, killing a warder. The Red Ajah wasn't happy."

Perrin's mouth was dry and he had to lick his lip several times. "The Aes Sedai, they'll…hunt me if they find out?" He asked hoarsely.

The wolf that had offered Rand the meat tensed and looked alert, its eyes wide open.

Perrin noticed Rand staring at it and grimaced. "Night Eyes says that wolves are wary of Two-Legs-who-wield-flames-of-sun-and-lightning-of-clouds, I think he means Aes Sedai." He said.

"Well, I won't tell anybody. I know what being gentled is like…I wouldn't want it to happen to you as well. Besides, I don't think this has anything to do with the One Power." Rand said, frowning in through.

"It's older than that," Perrin said, his eyes distant. "Older the One Power, older the humankind, older than the wolves…"

Mat shifted on his feet, looking like he wanted to say something before he sighed. "Perrin, you're my friend. So I mean this in the nicest possible way when I ask you what in the Dark One's name have you gotten yourself into?"

Perrin sighed softly" I don't know," He muttered and looked so downcast that Mat sighed as well.

"Oh cheer up," He grumbled. "At least you can tell the wolves to stop eating the sheep,"

Perrin smiled slightly then frowned as he gazed past Rand and Mat. "Is Gruthcomb coming down?"

Mat turned and beckoned to the Peddler, who was still watching with wide eyes as the wolves loitered around.

"The wolves know you," Perrin abruptly told Rand.

"Really?" Rand asked, slightly amused.

"They call you Shadowkiller," Perrin said quietly. "They say you fought a Slayer…or Slayer, at dark peak. There's only one dark peak I know of,"

"Shayol Ghul," Mat whispered. He switched his gaze from Perrin to Rand, then back to Perrin.

"I didn't actually fight him there," Rand said, grimacing. "But yes, I visited Shayol Ghul."

"Light, burn me!" Mat muttered.

"Rescuing cubs?" Perrin asked.

"Children," Rand supplied.

"Light, burn me! No, Light burn you! You're both as bad as each other!" Mat growled angrily. He fidgeted and then spat to the side, looking sour. "That's why you need somebody _normal _like me around to keep you from doing stupid things."

"I do stupid things?" Perrin asked Mat, a smile curving on his lips. "Who put bitterroot into Nynaeve's tea?"

"She called me a sheep-brained fool!" Mat protested.

Rand smiled at sound of his two friends and he watched as a quaking Gruthcomb was led down from the trees by two large wolves, his eyes filled with fear.

"Please…" He whimpered, holding out his hand slightly to Perrin. "Don't kill me?"

Perrin flinched and stepped backwards, while Mat glowered at the Peddler.

"We just saved your life!" He said. "Now, take us to this town, give us our money and we'll all be happy!"

Gruthcomb nodded hastily and glanced uneasily at Perrin. "What about the wolves?" He asked.

"They won't bother you." Perrin promised.

Gruthcomb nodded slowly and prepared the reigns on the pony.

* * *

It was only a day's ride until they had arrived in a small town. The buildings were made from grey stone and had slanted tiled roofs, and the folk were dark eyed and dark haired. Rand, Perrin and Mat received curious looks, probably because of the blood on their clothing as Gruthcomb led the van through the town and approached a moderately large manor. 

Mat whistled as they approached the large iron gates, where two men with battered armour and rusty swords stood lazily outside.

"Wait here," Gruthcomb instructed.

"You better come back." Mat warned and Gruthcomb flinched at the tone.

"Of course," He reassured Mat, before he drove the horse forward and left Mat, Perrin and Rand outside the gates.

"Ten Silvers, I can't wait!" Mat muttered.

It was five minutes before somebody approached. It was a tall man in his middle years Rand supposed he might have been handsome, with long, dark curling hair and clear blue eyes that held a strength and authority in them. As he approached, the two guardsmen left, leaving the stranger alone with the three Two Rivers men.

"I am Lord Logain," The man said. His eyes flickered over the bloodstained clothes, the axe on Perrin's waist, the quarterstaff in Mat's hands, and they widened at Rand's Heron-mark blade and absolutely bulged at Perrin's _cuendillar _hammer.

"That is Heartstone!" He gasped. His eyes narrowed as he gazed at Perrin with interest. "Where did you get it from?"

Wordlessly, Perrin pointed at Rand, and Logain shifted his eyes onto him. Rand stared squarely back at him and Lord Logain smiled slightly.

"I am grateful for what you have done for my man, Gruthcomb. He carried something of great importance that I desperately needed to confirm something." Logain said. He held out a pouch of money that Mat took eagerly, looking inside.

"There must be fifty silvers in here." Mat whispered with awe.

"Sixty," Logain corrected. "Twenty for each, that's ten more for that you were promised. I…" Suddenly he stiffened and frowned, his eyes glazing over in concentrating. For Mat and Perrin, nothing other than that appeared to happen, but for Rand an aura of power and golden blinding light that rushed into Logain, a tinge of black and green flickering inside the light. His sword started vibrating madly in its scabbard and he whipped it out. It too was also glowing in a golden light, reacting to the _Saidin _that Logain was drawing in. Light, he could channel! And it wasn't pure _Saidin _from the Eye of the World, but tainted _Saidin! _

"What is that?" Logain hissed in amazement. A watery blue flow suddenly extended from his arm and Rand slashed at it, slicing it into nothingness. Logain gasped, stepping back as awe and a little bit of fear appeared into his eyes. "Amazing!"

"What's going on? Rand, why are you waving your sword about?" Perrin asked while Mat held his quarterstaff ready.

Inside the Void, Rand answered. "He's channelling. He's using _Saidin!_"

Perrin stiffened and took a step backwards, almost bumping into a wide-eyed Mat.

Logain hesitated and slowly, he released _Saidin. _The golden glow shimmered and disappeared and Rand eyed Logain for a minute before placing his sword back in the scabbard.

"That's why you wanted the extract from the Prophecy of the Dragon," Perrin said with a dawning realisation. "You think you're the Dragon Reborn!"

Logain eyed him sharply. "I could very well be!" He snapped. "I can channel and I was born near Dragonmount some years ago. That's what the parchment Gruthcomb fetched for me told me. I might be the Dragon Reborn."

Mat stared at him as if he was a crazy loon, his knuckles white on his staff.

"But you…you are strange," Logain said, turning to Rand. His eyes flickered over his sword and travelling pack. "I thought I could sense _Saidin, _just a trickle really."

"He was gentled, he can't channel!" Mat exclaimed. His suddenly looked uncertain. "Right Rand?"

"That's right." Rand agreed. "I can't draw from _Saidin,_ the Aes Sedai got to me first."

"Your sword reeks of _Saidin, _it glows from it!" Logain snapped. "And you posses another item in your pack that _Saidin _surrounds."

Rand pulled off his pack and opened it up. Taking a clothed bundle, Rand opened it up to reveal two brightly glowing crystals.

"Light!" Mat breathed. Perrin looked awestruck at the beautiful and pulsing crystals and Logain looked as if he might drop to his knees.

"I can feel them! They…they do not carry the taint!" He whispered hoarsely. He held out a pleading arm, his eyes filling with beseeching need, and Rand let him take one. For a moment Logain held it in his hand, before a golden nimbus surrounded him. It was much weaker than before, a tiny faint outline but Logain shuddered. The glow inside the crystal slowly faded as Logain channelled it all into himself. After a minute, he let go and the glowing _Saidin _returned to the crystal. It was like tipping a glass of water back into the bottle instead of drinking it.

"Amazing!" Logain breathed. "I could feel the fight for life with _Saidin, _I could feel alive…and no taint rushed to greet me!"

Rand was silent as Logain breathed in deeply, before his turned to Rand, his eyes practically glowing with happiness and excitement. "I will pay you for this, everything I own. I'll give you my estates, just let me keep this!"

"The _Saidin _in that crystal won't last forever," Rand warned.

Logain shook his head. "No, you don't see it. I don't have to channel from the True Source anymore. Whenever I feel the urge to channel, instead of succumbing to the True Source and taking the taint inside of me, I can use this and release it back when I'm done! I can keep myself sane! I'll never have to channel the taint again!"

Rand was silent; he truly hadn't considered that notion before. "Keep it!" he suddenly said. "I've got another one, you can have that one. But don't declare yourself Dragon Reborn, the Aes Sedai will find you eventually and they'll wonder where you got that crystal from. And don't break it!"

Logain looked as if he would kneel to Rand, and bowed repeatedly. "Come in, I'll prepare dinner for you." He invited eagerly.

"We have to leave back for home," Rand said. Mat and Perrin were looking very confused, fearful and wary and Logain picked up the way Rand's eyes flicked towards them.

"Very well. Oh, what is your name?" Logain asked, as an afterthought.

"I'm Rand al'Thor," Rand said.

Logain held out his hand and Rand took it, shaking it firmly. "If you ever need anything, you can come to me and I will do anything within my power to provide it!"

Rand smiled as Logain hurriedly left, cradling the crystal like a newborn child. Sighing, he placed the other crystal away and stood up, only to freeze.

"Why in Light's name did I show him the crystal?" He wondered to himself. The whole meeting seemed to be rushed and surreal, and Rand frowned but shrugged it off.

"Rand, could you tell us what just happened?" Perrin asked in a controlled voice. Mat nodded in agreement, a wary look on his face.

Rand stared at his friends for a long time. If he could trust anybody, it would be those two.

"Well, it's a long story, so I'll tell you some now and some on the journey home. Anyway, It began when I left home…no, it started when I first channelled…"

* * *

**A/N- A long chapter for you. I pretty much had to drag out the rest of it; my mind was wandering to how I will play out the Caemlyn Rand/Slayer confrontation. Important stuff in this chapter…especially with the wolves, Whitecloaks and Logain. And we see that Rand's Ta'veren thingy is starting to draw in some powerful allies...  
**


	22. Two Rivers: Luc and a New Quest

**A/N- Thanks for those who answered the question. I had forgotten about Halima…**

**This is not a very exciting chapter, but I made it so next chapter can be fight, fight, fight! This way, everything starting off and I don't need to explain much next chapter.

* * *

**

The return trip to Two Rivers took two weeks or so, and in that time Rand told Mat and Perrin everything that happened on his journeys away from home. At the end, Mat looked boggled and Perrin looked calm and accepting. Towards the end of their journey, they had crossed Tavern Ferry, where they had bought new clothes with their money, and were very close to Two Rivers when both of them finally talked about what Rand had said.

* * *

"The wolves hate Slayer," Perrin said, frowning at the name. "No, they fear him, more than they fear Darkhounds. If you fought him…well, that would make you very respectful and powerful in their eyes."

"Light, Rand!" Mat muttered. "You never could do anything normal,"

"Thanks Mat," Rand said dryly.

Mat coloured slightly but managed a small grin when Rand looked expectantly at him. "Look, I don't like the One Power. I think its…well, there are some things men and women shouldn't be able to do. But you're my friend and you have been for a very long time. So…blood and ashes Rand, stop laughing!"

Rand shook his head in amusement, his snickers drying up. "Mat…" he began and stopped. "Oh forget it! Look, I plan on enjoying myself when I head off to Caemlyn. If you want, you can come with me and I'll show you the taverns and inns you can play your dice in."

Mat looked eager at that, while Perrin clasped Rand's shoulder.

"Did you ever get the feeling that you were part of something bigger than your own lives?" He asked quietly. Man sobered up quickly and even Rand nodded. "Maybe it's the _ta'veren _in you, maybe it's the wolves, but I know that you're part of something bigger and we're linked with you."

Mat looked serious for one of the first times in his life, nodding solemnly. He spoiled the affect by squinting off into the distance and whooping.

"We're home!" He yelled. The first signs of farmland were just beginning to appear. "I told you that we would make it before Bel Tine!"

* * *

When the three of them walked into the village, Peddler and merchant wagons had been set up and there was a cluster of people surrounding each one of them. Merchants argued over prices and Two Rivers villagers set their terms stubbornly and without any negotiation. It was the way of Two River's people; each was as stubborn as a mule and could make a boulder seem bendable and less stiff. The three were unnoticed at first, until Nynaeve suddenly appeared from the crowd.

"So, you're back are you?" She asked, sniffing loudly and pulling at her braid. "How was your foolish quest?"

Rand, Mat and Perrin all hesitated, before Mat put in a beaming smile. "Oh, it was fun. We saw Ghaeldan and met a real Lord! And we got twenty silvers instead of ten!"

Nynaeve gaped slightly, twenty silvers was a lot of money. Mat looked past her at the Peddler vans and grinned, quickly moving forward to the first one he could see.

"It was boring," Rand said flatly. "We walked and walked and did nothing."

"The view was nice," Perrin disagreed. "And the actually journey…well, I could get used to doing that."

Nynaeve sighed, her eyes glaring at Rand for some reason. "You shouldn't have encouraged him!" She hissed.

"Rand! Perrin!" Egwene called, laughing slightly as she ran forward. "It's good that you made it in time for Bel Tine!"

Rand shifted under her gaze and looked away. "Where's Tam?" He asked.

"He's in the inn, listening to the Peddlers talk the tales of the outside world." Egwene answered, a flash of hurt appearing on her face.

"Thankyou," Rand said and quickly walked off, leaving a downcast Egwene and an angry Nynaeve.

"Why doesn't he like me?" Egwene whispered to Nynaeve, who glared darkly at Rand's retreating back.

"Because he is a man, and man are all stubborn and oblivious fools!" Nynaeve snapped.

"Really? I didn't know that," Perrin said, noticed again for the first time.

A look of surprise and a tiny bit of an apology formed on Nynaeve's face but Perrin smiled ruefully.

"Egwene, Rand isn't the boy he was when he was thirteen, let alone six." He said softly. "He's been through a lot since then, more than you could possible know and I think he's planning on leaving again."

Egwene faltered, her dark eyes with shock. "But he just came back!" She protested.

"He has other friends, other homes, other…women, that he knows." Perrin said, not unkindly. "He's not going to stay in a tiny village and become a shepherd when he has seen the world."

He caught the pain Egwene was feeling, could smell it reeking off her…NO! He was not a wolf, just because he could speak to them doesn't mean that he was one! Murmuring a quick goodbye, he quickly left the Wisdom and her apprentice. Maybe Master Luhhard had some work for him to so, something to get his mind off the wolves.

* * *

"…Illian is preparing to call another Hunt for the Horn of Valere, the legendary horn that will raise the dead heroes of all the Ages." Rand heard as he walked quietly into the Inn. Men and women were crowded in the seats, listening expectantly as a pale and skinny man with a nose like a beak and dark hair and eyes. Tam caught Rand's eye from across the room and smiled, part-relief and part- welcome.

As the Peddler talked about the Council of Nine in Illian, Rand slowly and quietly made his way across the room. He could have sworn that the Peddler's eyes had swept over him and for a moment, the bony man skipped a word, shuddering slightly. Rand managed to get close to Tam, who pulled out a seat for him.

"I was hoping you would make it for Bel Tine," He whispered as Rand sat down.

"The world is changing from what it used to be," The Peddler said loudly, ceasing any mutterings about Illian. "You have heard tales of droughts in Amadicia and politics of the south, but the biggest news comes from the north. Shienar, a nation of the borderlands, was recently in battle with the foul creatures under the Dark One. Trollocs and Myrddraal fought men in what could have been the second Trolloc Wars."

Silence filled the inn. Old Cenn, a wrinkled man on the Village Council, snorted.

"What does their War have to do with us? We're south of the Borderlands," He savoured the word, 'War' strangely, no Two Rivers man had been involved in a war for a long time. Only Tam and Rand would know truly what war was like, and they both sat still, Tam in worried expectance and Rand with a small smile on his face.

"Ah, but the war did come south. Several years ago, Myrddraal attacked Caemlyn, trying to destroy the Royal Palace and the Royal Family." The Peddler said and grinned as men muttered to each other worriedly. "Since then, Andor sent out legions of horsemen, giant armies of armoured men, to aid Shienar in the fight against the shadow. Aes Sedai also fought, wielding lightning where they pointed and destroying the ground where monsters walked on!"

"Aes Sedai!" Cenn spluttered. "Listen here, we're a respectable village. We don't want to here anything about those types here!"

"They broke the world!" One farmer yelled.

"They steal children from families!" A Goodwife managed to shriek, clutching her own baby to her chest.

"Aes Sedai…Witches!" That was from a Colpin, the whole family were troublemakers.

"That's enough!" Master al'Vere shouted, and his voice boomed in the room. "Tell us more Padan,"

The Peddler, Padan, grinned mockingly, as if he were enjoying the villager's isolation from the rest of the world. "Thousands of Trollocs, maybe millions, poured from the blight like a flood. They were defeated of course but many are wandering if the Trolloc Wars of two thousand years ago will repeat. Even the Aiel seemed to be concerned, filthy desert savages who would rather kill you than look at you! In the battle, Aiel Warriors poured over the Spine of the World in floods. Many a Andorran and Shienaran thought the Aiel Wars were starting again, I tell you that!"

Tam stiffened at the mention of Aiel, his hands balled tightly. He had participated in the Aiel Wars and had seen much death and horror because of Lamen's Sin. The former Cairhienan King had chopped down the last species of the tree of life, the fabled and mythical tree of peace, to make a new throne out of the wood. The Aiel had taken this news in with rage, and as well they should have as they had given Cairhien the tree five hundred years ago.

"Is there any good news?" Master al'Vere asked Padan Fain, who grinned like he was privy to a joke nobody else knew.

"Ah. In Andor, the Daughter-Heir is getting married!"

* * *

Rand gasped softly, his eyes wide with shock. Elayne was getting married? All around him, women talked in dreamy and sighing tones of Princess's and Princes, beautiful nobles with carriages of solid gold. The men were snorting mostly as Padan raised his hand, calming everybody down.

"Lady Elayne, Daughter-Heir to the Throne of Andor and the Golden Lily, is marrying Lord Luc of the House Mantear, a man forty years old to her sixteen. Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine, who vanished under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago. He also vanished, many said he had died in the Blight, but he had been mugged and attacked by bandits and had hit his head. For twenty years he lived as a farmer, no knowledge of his royal blood or lineage. He recently returned to Caemlyn when he regained his memories."

"Lord Luc? Tigraine…" Rand whispered to himself as outraged cries went up from the women inside the Inn. Cold dread filled him; an icy hand clutched his heart. "Light!"

_I was your mothers brother…Tigraine was a stubborn woman, you take after her…A Maiden of the Spear who had appeared suddenly from the west… Tigraine vanished under mysterious circumstances…Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine…Slayer…_

"The wedding is being conducted in two weeks," Padan Fain finished.

"Why would a young girl marry such an old man?" Mistress al'Vere, a motherly looking women and Egwene's mother, asked.

"It's all Politics, dear goodwife." Padan said jovially. He spread his hands, shrugging his shoulders. "Normal people like you and me would not understand it,"

Rand was left alone to his thoughts. Maybe he was wrong…maybe he was mistaking…_Tigraine was a stubborn woman…Lord Luc was the only brother of Daughter-Heir Tigraine…_what should he do? If Lord Luc was Slayer, then Elayne was in serious danger.

"Rand, are you alright?" Tam asked. Rand blinked and looked up, the Inn was almost empty and the Peddler had gone. Tam was standing above him with a concerned expression on his face, his fingers brushing Rand's shoulders.

"No," Rand said and stood up. Suddenly anger rushed through him. Slayer! The man who had tried to kill him at Caemlyn, who had almost killed Elayne! Slayer! The man who had sent Darkhounds at him in the Aiel Waster! Slayer, the man who had fought him at the Eye of the World and drew from the Dark One's powers! Slayer! Darkfriend! Scum! And he was marrying Elayne! What plans was Slayer twisting? "But I will be. Tam, I'm leaving tomorrow."

Tam blinked in surprise. "But you just got back!" He protested. "What…was it the news that Padan Fain bought?"

Rand nodded silently and Tam sighed. "You're old enough to do what you want…I guess that maybe I shouldn't have let you go with that merchant back when you were younger. I don't think that you will ever become a peaceful shepherd."

"I don't think so, especially since I'm leaving to murder Lord Luc." Rand muttered, but Tam caught it.

"Murder?" He said sharply. "Rand, do you know… did you know the Daughter-Heir? You can't kill her husband if it is love you are feeling…"

"'Lord Luc' is my uncle in blood." Rand said sharply. "Yes, I know that you found after the Aiel War and that my parents were Aiel themselves. But my mother…she was Tigraine! 'Lord Luc' is a Darkfriend Tam, he's the one who caused half of my scars and those infected wounds! He killed my blood father, and I wouldn't be surprised if he killed Tigraine."

Tam had stiffened at the word, _uncle, _and he sighed wearily, lowing himself into a seat. "I…" He began, before he shook his head. "I was going to tell you when you were older. I didn't think…that's to say,"

"Father, it's alright." Rand said gently. "You raised me, you loved me and you fed me. You are my father, blood aside. But I have to stop Luc…he's evil."

"I won't try to stop you," Tam said after a few minutes. He raised his head from his hands, his eyes hopeful. "You will come back?"

"Of course I will. Two Rivers is my home," Rand answered. He gave his father a hug, closing his eyes as he embraced the one man that meant the most to him. After a few minutes, Tam released him and Rand quickly strode from the room.

* * *

Outside music was playing. Lights lit up a huge area, where dancing couples laughed as perky musicians strummed their harps and played their flutes. Amidst the laughter and happy couples, Rand spotted Perrin talking with a slim braided girl with dark eyes. He quickly walked over, sliding past other couples as he remembered what Perrin had told him. If Wolves hated Slayer, maybe Perrin could help him.

"Perrin!" Rand shouted over the din of laughter and music.

Perrin turned from the blushing girl, a small blush on his own face. "Rand!" He shouted, waving a huge hand and smiling.

"I'm going to Caemlyn. Slayer is there!" Rand shouted back, and Perrin's face drained of all colour. Something flickered in his eyes, something primal and animalistic, and he turned back to the girl, muttering an apology as he followed Rand out of the crowd.

"Are you sure?" Perrin asked quietly once they were safe out of any nosy ears.

"I'm sure," Rand said and laughed bitterly. "Light, I wish I wasn't. Listen, you said that wolves hate Slayer. If you come with me, can you persuade them to help me?"

"They would help you if you just asked for anything, you are Shadowkiller." Perrin said wryly. "But Slayer…every wolf on the planet would flock to Caemlyn if they learnt that you needed help killing _him._" Perrin pronounced him with so much anger and rage that Rand stepped back warily. Golden eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, before Perrin shook his head.

"I'll come with you," He answered. "What about Mat though? You did say you would take him to Caemlyn."

"Should we bring him?" Rand asked hesitantly. "He might get hurt, maybe killed. Slayer…Slayer has powers that would rival an Aes Sedai."

"He can…"

"Not _Saidin_." Rand said quickly. "But something else. It was his powers that caused the wounds on my shoulder and stomach that were infected."

Perrin shuddered at the memory of the slimy and oily tainted pus that had withered as if it were alive.

"We should bring him," Perrin said quietly, his eyes distant. "He's part of the link, he's part of us."

Rand nodded. "You go get him and get him to get the three fastest horses his father owns. Use my silver if you have to. I've got to go home and get something."

* * *

Rand slowly made his way up the stairs of the empty farmhouse. Torches burned on the walls, providing the light he needed as he entered his room. Grunting, Rand pushed the heavy bed back, straining with the effort. Soon it had moved two metres or so and had revealed a tiny niche in the floor. Inside, a black and white painted circular disc and a slim black book rested, hidden from the rest of the world. Rand picked them up and looked at them grimly. He had to take the seal with him; he had to get it to an Aes Sedai. As much as Rand disliked them, they would be the only ones who could protect it. And the book…well, he had five _Saidin _filled crystals. It would be best if he tried to memorise all of the weaves he could.

* * *

When Rand returned to the village, the music was still playing and the villagers were still dancing. Mat and Perrin were talking lowly near the stables that Mats father owned. When they saw Rand, Perrin smiled and Mat scowled.

"We just got back!" He grumbled, but he had his quarterstaff and a small travelling pack on his back. "So, we're going to meet this Slayer you told us about?"

Rand nodded and Mat sighed. "Darkfriends and battles…how fun," He said sarcastically. "But we're going to Caemlyn, right?"

Rand nodded and Mat grinned wistfully. "I've always wanted to see Caemlyn."

"We have three horses and we left ten silvers on the table. Mat claims that they're the fastest that his father owns." Perrin said quietly.

Mat threw a dirty look at Perrin. "I don't claim, I know." He said irritably. "My father's been breeding horses for thirty years, and I've been watching him for eighteen of those years."

"Well, we're going to leave now." Rand said, glancing at Mat. Riding in the dark was not a wise thing to do but the sooner Rand got to Caemlyn, the better. His veins tingled with rage at the mere though of Slayer touching Elayne, and something must have shown on his face because Mat gave a nervous laugh.

"There's no need to be like that," He said, still somewhat nervously. "I don't mind riding at night, honest. In fact, I bought three torches with me,"

Rand smoothed his face and with effort, seized the void. "Are the horses ready?"

Mat nodded. "I saddled them up and raided Mistress al'Vere's pantry. I'm definitely coming with you because once she finds out…" He shuddered.

"We should leave now then," Rand said and together, the three boys walked into the stables.

* * *

Egwene watched the dancers with a sullen frown on her face. Next to her, Nynaeve glared at anybody who any though of coming to ask her for a dance, her flashing eyes making any boy flinch. She seemed satisfied as she turned to Egwene, and noticed the younger girls pain.

"Egwene, he is a boy." Nynaeve snorted. "Foolish half the time and stubborn the other half. If you let him see how much he's hurting you, then he has the advantage."

Egwene sighed, knowing that Nynaeve was right and smoothed her face over. Anger swelled in her as she glanced at the laughing men and women around her. How dare Rand make her feel this way on the most joyful occasion in the year? She stood up, squaring her shoulders and Nynaeve smiled.

Suddenly there was a loud whine and the sky exploded in a flash of blue and red. Fireworks shot out from the ground, popping and exploding in bursts of multicoloured sparks. There were occasional mutters of awe as the music stopped and everybody craned their necks up.

Only Nynaeve, who was sitting down, saw three horses gallop off into the night, three men on their backs. Her mouth opened in surprise, and her sharp eyes caught the axe swinging from one of their hips and the sword hanging from another man's hip.

"Rand and Perrin!" She growled, tugging at her braid. "And with Mat, no doubt!"

"What?" Egwene shouted over the fireworks.

Nynaeve pointed at the rapidly retreating backs of the boys and Egwene followed her hand, her mouth dropping over with shock.

"They're leaving now?" She said in disbelief.

Nynaeve growled and her eyes were flashing as she stood up, making a beeline for Tam al'Thor. Egwene followed her, a scowl on her face.

"Where did they go?" She demanded, and Tam hesitated.

"Mister al'Thor, tell me now!" Egwene demanded angrily.

"Caemlyn," Tam answered, and suddenly look surprised. "Wh…" He began, before he crumpled to the ground in front of a startled Nynaeve and Egwene.

"Bullocks!" Nynaeve cursed as she knelt down below Tam's body, her left hand feeling for a pulse and her right hand quickly and efficiently gathering herbs and mixtures from her belt. Egwene stood in the background, keeping back inquisitive people, but looked green and dazed.

"He's alright!" Nynaeve called out. "Just…tired, I think."

Nynaeve quickly rechecked Tam, and with the help of Master Luhhan and Master al'Vere, she lifted him and took him inside the Inn. The fireworks continued, coloured flashes lighting up the ground below, and the pale face of Egwene could be seen. For a moment, she had felt something inside of her. A tingle maybe, something that had made Tam speak up when he wasn't going to. Light, she had done this!

* * *

As the sun was rising, three wearied and fatigued horsemen trotted up to the wooden gates of Baerlon. The four guards at the door scrutinised them closely, but to them it looked like three tired farmers. With a grunt, they let them pass and stood back as the horses trotted through. Inside the walls of Baerlon, it was almost dead quiet. Even at this early time, when men would be getting to work and women would be baking their bread, there was no clang and chatter of men working or aroma of freshly baking bread. In fact, if it weren't for the guards and the relatively few cloaked figures that hurried past quickly, Rand would say that the town was deserted.

"Are all towns like this?" Mat asked Rand in disappointment.

Rand shook his head silently as he led the wearied group of travellers to the small house belonging to Min. As he tied the knot at the fence, he allowed a smile to come to his face as Min opened the door, her face beaming.

"Well Sheepherder, I said we would meet again but I didn't think that it would this soon!" She said, laughing slightly and embraced Rand.

Mat and Perrin tried not to stare to hard at the woman hugging Rand. She wasn't like anything they had seen before, a woman with short hair to her shoulders that was upbraided, and one wearing boys clothes at that! But Rand seemed to be very friendly with her as he smiled, a rare thing to be witnessed. The woman noticed Mat and Perrin and frowned.

"These your friends Sheepherder?" She demanded and Rand nodded.

"This is Mat Cauthon," Rand said and pointing to Mat," and Perrin Aybara. Mat, Perrin, this is Min."

Min looked at the two of them closely, Perrin realised, and he could smell the surprise, shock and puzzlement that radiated off her. But she gave no sign of feeling any of those things as she turned back to Rand and started muttering quietly with him.

"They're just like you!" Min hissed once her back was facing Perrin and Mat.

"What do you mean?" Rand asked.

"I mean that I can see things from them. I see a fox revolving around Mat, and a moon. I see a wolf around Perrin and a hawk and falcon that will appear in his life and make his choose between them. Light Rand, normal people never give off two signs at once! I think that they're like you, _ta'veren, _because there's a golden thread that's joining all of you together!" Min ranted quietly.

Rand took in this information and wandered why he was not surprised. "It would make sense if they were _ta'veren_." He said. "I knew that there was something that joined us, I could feel it."

"Why are you here?" Min asked Rand after a few seconds of silence. "Not that I mind the company, of course."

"I'm just stopping to say hello. We're going to Caemlyn." Rand answered and hesitated slightly. But he knew he could trust Min, her dark eyes were honest and comforting. "Remember Slayer, the man I told you about? Well, he's in Caemlyn and is about to marry Elayne!"

"Lord Luc?" Min said in shock, a hand to her mouth. "Are you sure?"

"I think so," Rand said grimly.

Min looked troubled as she leaned in closer to Rand. "Rand, I had a dream about you the night you left here four months ago. I've never had dreams before, ever! But I knew this was real. It was you and another man, with a scar over his eye and a charred face. I knew he was Slayer, and you were older than you are now. There were bodies around you, some were beast-like creatures and some were human. Both of you had your swords out and Slayer said that is would end now, and when you struck blades lightning flashed and you were both blown back."

"Slayer doesn't have a scar over his eye, or any burns. At least, he didn't last time I looked." Rand muttered. He didn't doubt what Min had said, she had told him that what she saw was always the truth.

"How are you getting to Caemlyn?" Min asked, changing the subject.

"Horse," Rand answered gesturing to his tied to the gate. "We had better leave soon."

"They look like they're going to fall over flat on their faces," Min said dryly, glancing behind her shoulder.

"Who, the horses or Mat and Perrin?" Rand asked.

"Both," Min said flatly. "You need rest, or at least they do."

"I have a remedy that will let us keep riding." Rand said, slightly pleased with himself. He had found it last night when he was reading the _Saidin _book, and had already planned to use a crystal for it.

"It's not strengthening herbs, is it?" Min asked, slightly concerned. "Because men find themselves wanting more and more of them as they start using them."

"It's _Saidin,_" Rand said and was pleased when Min didn't flinch.

"Well…" She hesitated, before she tilted her head and her eyes went wide. "Elayne has golden hair, doesn't she?" She asked Rand faintly.

Rand nodded slowly, wondering what she had seen in his aura and Min grimaced, biting her lip, as she seemed to work over something in her mind. Finally, she came to a decision.

"I'm coming with you," She told him.

"What?" Rand said in shock.

Min planted her hands on her hips and stared Rand down, challenging him to refuse her. Rand however, was not having any of it.

"No." He said firmly

"Rand," Min said, her voice almost pleading. "I need to come with you!"

"What have you seen?" Rand asked her, and she hesitated.

"It's about Elayne," She said, her cheeks blossoming with red for some odd reason. "But I can't tell you!"

Rand hesitated, glancing back at the tired horses and the weary men on the back of them. "We only have three horses."

"I can ride with you," Min answered quickly.

"We're not stopping unless we really need to." Rand tried again.

"Good." Min said flatly.

"Fine," Rand grumbled. Min smiled, giving him a quick hug before she raced back into the house.

"So, What's going on?" Mat asked, yawning as he rubbed his eyes.

"She's coming with us," Rand answered.

"What? I thought this was an Inn of some sort!" Mat protested. "Blast! I thought I was going to get some sleep, maybe chat to a barmaid,"

Perrin stayed silent, his golden-eyes alert. He seemed the least tired of the two, probably having something to do with the wolves. Rand didn't tired at all, but he had wrapped himself in the Void so tightly that he couldn't even feel the sun on his skin.

"I'm going to do something to cure you fatigue." Rand answered and he pulled out a _Saidin _crystal. Mat gaped at the object and even Perrin grimaced as Rand moved closer.

"What?" Mat asked, spluttering slightly.

Rand said nothing as he drew _Saidin _from the crystal, mentally blessing Logain for the idea. Slowly, the crystal light began to dim and falter, and after a few moments all that was left was a large blank crystal that Rand carefully placed back in his bag, his mind surrounded by a whirlwind of light and power. It was a struggle to survive, in the middle of an avalanche of heat and light, but compared to the Eye of the World the struggle was like a Trolloc fighting a small dog and Rand easily seized _Saidin. _He performed it on his own horse first, just to make sure it worked, and was relieved when it did.

"Rand…" Perrin started, before Rand placed a hand on his let. Sitting on his saddle, Perrin let a look of wonder come across his face as all of the tiredness and aches and pains drifted out of him like water running downhill. He shook his head in wonder as Rand concentrated again, letting the power trickle out of him. He carefully placed a weave of spirit over a weave of water, twining the two together and repeating the process so that eight double-weaved threads melded together, and placed his hand on the horses flank. The weaves fluttered in his eyes as they were sucked into the horse, which shook its head, snorting slightly.

"Perrin?" Mat asked anxiously.

"I feel like I've had the best night of sleep ever." Perrin marvelled out loud.

Rand came over to Mat, who shifted uneasily but allowed Rand to touch him. He almost yelped at the feeling and Rand snickered, repeating it for the horse. Still, there was enough _Saidin _left in him for a second repeat and for a moment Rand considered trying it on himself. But he remembered long ago Alanna had said that Aes Sedai could not do to themselves what they did to others, so he pulled out the crystal and let the _Saidin _flow out of him.

"Rand, remind me to fetch for you when I've had to much too drink." Mat said, staring at his hands with marvel.

Min burst out of the house then, locking the door behind her. A small pack lay strapped to her back and Rand could see a flash of metal as Min's sleeves blew in the light wind. "Are we ready?" She asked.

Rand nodded and gestured to his saddle.

"Aren't you the gentleman?" Min said dryly as she climbed up by herself. Her eyes flickered over the crystal as Rand put it away and jumped up. Min gave a small shriek as she clutched Rand by the waist, before giving a small growl.

"Don't do that again Woolhead! I almost fell off!" She muttered.

Rand ignored her as he gestured for Perrin and Mat to follow him and they slowly came back the way they had started.

"Where is everybody?" Rand asked, turning his head so he could see Min. Min leant her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"In their homes, praying that if war breaks out between the Whitecloaks and Queens Guard, they'll be safe." She replied grimly.

Rand frowned, but he had reached the gates and as soon as he was out of them, he urged the horse on faster. It would take at least a week to get to Caemlyn even on a non-stop horse, and he had to stop Slayer before he did something stupid.

* * *

_At the same time…

* * *

_

_Two Rivers:

* * *

_

Tam was up and awake the next morning, claiming that he had had too much to drink. He did give Egwene a peculiar look but shook his head and made his way home, ignoring the good-natured jests of Master al'Vere. There was a bit of a commotion in the morning when Mistress al'Vere had discovered her larder had been raided and Master Cauthon discovered three of his best horses were gone, but both of them found ten silvers on their tables and had deduced that Rand, Mat and Perrin had taken everything.

Master Cauthon had been angry at Mat, but he had also been slightly worried about what reasons Mat would have to return home and quickly flee the next hour.

Nynaeve was gone off somewhere, leaving Egwene alone. She had managed to get some sleep, but had kept awaking up with shivering arms. Light, what had she done? Something had blossomed inside of her, something filled with light and she had surrendered herself to it in the moment, wanting something to make Tam tell the truth. And it had.

"Egwene, are you ready?" Nynaeve asked as she walked into the Inn. She wore a riding dress, her braid trailing behind her back as she stared at Egwene with impatience.

"Where are we going?" Egwene asked.

"To find Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon and Perrin Aybara and drag them back home!" Nynaeve sniffed. "They're Two Rivers men and its time they acted like it. I have already gotten permission from the Women's Council, they've given us the twenty silvers and we are both allowed to leave and find them. That is, of course, if you want to come."

"Give me a minute." Egwene said and rushed up the stairs to her house, quickly undressing and putting on dirty riding robes. She paused to glance at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks looked pale and her eyes were bloodshot, but she ignored them and quickly made her way downstairs.

"How do we track them?" She asked Nynaeve as they both exited the house. Two horses stood outside patiently, saddled and harnessed.

"Master al'Thor has given me a note for a friend of his in a town called Baerlon. We are to deliver the note, and he will take us to a nearby river and take us by boat to Whitebridge…some town. From there, it's only a few days ride to Caemlyn, then we can find them."

"I'm ready," Egwene said determinately.

* * *

_Andor: Caemlyn

* * *

_

"Lady Elayne, is your dinner to your liking?" Lord Luc said charmingly, bowing his head at the beautiful girl in front of him.

"Quite Lord Luc," Elayne said, a pleasant smile on her face. But inside, she protested angrily at the man in front of her. She was being forced to marry him for Light's sake! Still, the man's earnest expression and happy smile made her anger dim slightly. She couldn't blame him; he was being forced into this as much as she was. Not for the first time, she wondered if she could run away, disappear and never return. If Rand had been here, he would have helped her. He had probably known half a dozen places she could have gone. But he wasn't here, he was dead and she was forced to marry the man in front of her. She had to stop dwelling on what was and concentrate on what is.

"Please pass the salt Lord Luc," Elayne asked, smiling politely as she nibbled her dinner. She had never felt more alone…


	23. Caemlyn: Battles of Men and Wolves

**A/N- Here's the chapter a few people have been eagerly awaiting for. I've just started working on the Final Battle, mainly the dramatic fight between the Dark One and Rand…if you like this, you'll love that! I'm almost tempted to put it down as a teaser…it doesn't tell any real plot details…but you should wait and let the anticipation make it ever so sweeter.**

**If some people got confused last chapter, Egwene channelled for the first time. The illness she gets on the boat several days afterwards is the Power-acquisition illness.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter; It's over 11,000 words long and my biggest update yet.

* * *

**

_One Week Later_

Nynaeve managed to lurch off the chubby boat, her face pale and her hands on her mouth. Following her, Egwene only paused to pay the Captain fifteen silvers and smiled politely, before she followed the Two Rivers wisdom down onto the docks, two ropes clutched in her hand as she led two horses off the deck and onto the docks. Nynaeve lay on the ground, panting slightly as she turned her eyes onto Egwene.

"Never again!" She growled, but still looked decidedly ill. "I will never travel on a blasted boat again!"

Egwene helped her up with one hand; the other clutching the ropes connected to the horses, and led a pale Nynaeve away from the docks near Whitebridge. The gleaming bridge that had given the town its name twinkled in the sunlight and even though Egwene had seen stared at the bridge for ten minutes while on the deck of the boat, she still couldn't help but stare. Nynaeve on the other hand, was shaking her head and getting back her bearings now that she was on land. For a strong woman such as Nynaeve to have such a small weakness, Egwene couldn't help but smile.

"Do you think it's funny?" Nynaeve practically growled as she snatched her horse's rope from Egwene's hand. "I seem to remember that three days in, you got very sick yourself. Chills and shivers and vomiting!"

Egwene lost her smile and shuddered. It had been the worst sort of illness that she had ever recalled having. Once, when she had been thirteen, she had gotten a fever and had almost died, but even that hadn't felt as bad as this one had. It had only lasted a day before Egwene was back on her feet but she still shuddered at the memory of it.

"What do we do now?" She asked Nynaeve.

Nynaeve frowned and shook off the last of her seasickness. "We go to Caemlyn. We have five silvers left, which should get us there. And when we find the boys…we will switch them so hard that they'll stand for a week!"

Egwene nodded and the two of them saddled their horses.

* * *

Several dozen leagues away, Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Min Farshaw were entering the large white gates of Caemlyn. Mat was gaping at the sheer number of people the flooded the streets, all wearing red bands on their arms. There were thousands of them, more than the Two Rivers, Watch Tower and Devon's Ride, the three largest villages in their little area put together. Perrin was gazing at the thick and gleaming white walls of Caemlyn, while Min had her arms around Rand and her eyes were half-closed as he led them all into the packed filled streets.

"What's going on?" Rand shouted over the din to a nearby Guard, who looked up at Rand as he directed people in and out of the gates, keeping it accessible.

"Lady Elayne and Lord Luc are going to be making a public presentation!" He answered back with a shout, before he irritably herded along a large group of people out of the gates.

Rand nodded in thanks and motioned for Perrin and Mat to follow him. The horse moved at a trot as it entered the gates, and Rand turned left immediately after he entered, going down a small alleyway between the thick wall and a stone house. Here the noise was lessened and Rand frowned as he considered his options. Min moaned something in annoyance as she yawned, shaking her head as if to clear the tiredness away.

* * *

The group had rushed from Baerlon to get here. Rand had used two crystals, including the one he had previously used, to wash away the tiredness of the horses and Mat, Perrin and Min, during the whole journey. On the third night Min had told him to stop and had firmly ordered him to get some sleep at a nearby village Inn. Rand had definitely been feeling tiredness, even in the Void, hadn't put up much of a struggle as Min ushered him into a room, leaving Mat and Perrin to pay and deal with the horses. Rand had collapsed on the first bed he had seen and had slept for ten hours straight.

The next morning, the group had galloped off again and they had rode for three days straight, eating their packed food and water on their horses and stopping for thirty second intervals to relieve themselves. Rand has used the second crystal during those days. As they drew closer and closer to Caemlyn, Rand had seen the white walls faintly visible on the horizon and had stopped the group for some rest and a long meal. If Rand was going to be fighting Slayer the next day, he wanted to make sure that he was well prepared and rested. That night, he had gone through the book of _Saidin, _memorising some of the particular destructive weaves. Most of them he had to ignore, even together his crystals only contained a limited amount of _Saidin. _Maybe he would go back to the Eye of the World and get some more when this was done with. After a sixteen-hour sleep, where Rand washed away all of his own fatigue naturally, the group had gotten back on their horses and sped for Caemlyn, where they had arrived.

* * *

"What's the plan?" Mat asked, scratching his head as he waved away an irritating insect.

"I don't know." Rand admitted. He frowned as he glanced down at his sword. "If I can get to Elayne, speak to her alone, I can convince her about Slayer. Eladia would help me fight him; maybe there are other Aes Sedai in the city that could help."

"Can't you fight him?" Perrin wondered. "You did it before,"

"I don't have the Eye of the World in my pocket," Rand said dryly. "There's only a limited amount of _Saidin _I can draw from the crystals, so I would have to kill him fast. If I could get behind him…I know this nasty weave that will blow a hole straight through his heart."

Mat shuddered at that, but he was glancing at the crowds and frowning as well. "How do we get through them?" He asked, gesturing to the milling people.

"The Palace will be heavily guarded." Min supplied. She was flicking her wrists, letting a knife appear in each one of her hands before she flicked them again, a little slower and clumsier, and they disappeared back into her sleeves.

"The guards won't be a problem, I know some of them." Rand said grimly. "But getting to them in this crowd could take all day. I don't want Slayer knowing I'm here until I have my sword stabbed into his back." He frowned, trying to remember something, and his face brightened somewhat. "I know of a way. It's a small gate overgrown with plants, almost forgotten by everybody. Only Elayne and Gawyn know about it."

"Well, lead us to it Sheepherder." Min said.

* * *

Rand led them through the back alleys and side streets, heading up the gently sloped hills and towards the secondary gleaming white stonewall that guarded the Inner City, where all of the nobles lived. As he did, Perrin quested out with his mind somewhat awkwardly. A flicker of images flashed, hundreds of them as he quested for a pack of wolves. There were some nearby, maybe a league away from the city.

_I am Young Bull_

Perrin introduced himself, forming an image of a two-legs with silver horns. The wolves greeted him like a father did a long-lost son, happiness and excitement bubbling through their minds.

_You are two-legs? We have heard of you from brothers in south. You seek for us; do you urge to hunt?_

_Shadowkiller needs wolf help_

Perrin almost winced at the awe and expectation that shot at him through his mind. The wolves were definitely excited about that and for a moment, Perrin thought he could hear loud howls from the west.

_What does Shadowkiller need?_

_Slayer is in white den._

Perrin answered, his mind trying to convey Caemlyn to a wolf. White Den seemed like the most appropriate name, and he waited as stillness and shock ran through the bond he was feeling.

_Slayer is evil. He is Alpha of shadowbrothers. Shadowkiller needs help killing?_

_Yes. Slayer may call Shadowbrothers. Shadowkiller wants other pack to fight shadowbrothers._

_We would hunt shadowbrothers even if Shadowkiller had not asked. We will come._

_Will you need help getting into den?_

_No. There are tunnels and holes. When pack gets closer to white den, if Shadowbrothers and Slayer are there, we will feel them._

The link closed off and Perrin sagged into his saddle, slightly drained. Mat glanced at him, but kept glancing at the crowds and any pretty girl that caught his eye. They were on a small hill now and a small patch of trees lay around a clearing, where the gleaming white wall stood strong and proud. Rand stopped and Min jumped off his saddle as he himself got off.

* * *

Lord Luc smiled pleasantly, bowing his head as Shienaran Lord greeted him in a small room with chatting nobles and lords. Elayne was talking to a short man with dark hair, dressed in soldiers clothing. The Shienarans had been invited as part of the new Alliance Andor and Shienar had created. Along with better trade opportunities, Andor would supply Shienar with men to help defend the Borderlands. In turn, Shienar would start buying Andorran iron mined from the Mountains of Mist in bulk, and at lower prices, to build and supply their armies with weapons.

"How are you Lord Luc?" The Shienaran Lord asked

Lord Luc kept a pleasant mask up as he felt hatred swelling in him. The pathetic and puny man in front of him was from the nation that had defeated his magnificent army. Because of him and others like him, the Great Lord had punished Slayer severely. Even now as Lord Luc, he could feel the memory of unbearable agony as every nerve in his.

"I am well," Lord Luc replied. "May I have the pleasure of knowing the name of the courageous Lord I am speaking to?"

"I am Lord Dremenden," The man replied jovially, shaking Lord Luc's hand enthusiastically. Lord Luc made a mental note to kill this man painfully and slowly.

"Welcome to Caemlyn, Lord Dremenden." Lord Luc said.

"It is a fine city, much finer that Fal Dara." Lord Dremenden said as he gazed out the window. "My daughter in particular in anxious to explore the palace. She has not seen such niceties and riches in a long time. Let me introduce her to you, Jania? Jania, come here and introduce yourself to Lord Luc."

A young girl, maybe twelve, with red hair and freckles walked over, her head bowed as she curtsied to Lord Luc. Lord Luc stiffened and felt dread well up in him, dread and panic, as the girl looked up and paled. Her mouth opened, just as Lord Dremenden cut in.

"This is Jania, my daughter. She was taken by Trollocs a few years back and rescued by a young Andorran soldier at the time. Truly, Rand al'Thor was a Lord in spirit. It is thanks to him that we had warning to the massive Trolloc hosts and it was his ties to Andor, the White Tower and even the Aiel, that allowed us to defeat them with minimal death on our side." Dremenden said, smiling obliviously.

Lord Luc had recognised the girl from one of the captives that he had taken from the Borderlands for the Myrddraal blades. She was trembling and white and Luc let his eyes flash in a dark fire, boring into hers and warning her that if she said a word, she would die right there and then.

"There is still time before the parade, perhaps you would like me to show young Jania around the palace?" Lord Luc offered kindly. As the girl opened her mouth despite her warning, Luc let a trickle of the True Power flow through him and wrap around the girls throat. The girl winced as something firm clamped down on her and knew that if she said another word she would die, and perhaps everybody in this room would if Luc had to reveal himself.

"That would be very kind of you Lord Luc," Lord Dremenden said. He looked down at Jania. "Would you like that?"

Jania managed a weak smile as Luc let the power pulse around her neck, caressing her skin. She nodded quickly and Lord Dremenden shrugged.

"Very well. I will see you at the parade Lord Luc." He said, before turning to speak to a tall Andorran Lord.

Lord Luc led Jania outside, his power still clamped down at her throat. He smiled at the guards outside as he started talking loudly of the origin of the Palace, and the start of the reign of Andor. He turned into an empty hall and quickly bore down onto Jania.

"So girl, you're still alive. I hadn't expected that." He sneered. His pleasant face crumbled as hatred shone through and he released the Power.

"Y-Y-You're the D-Darkfriend!" Jania gasped, backing away as her eyes filled with tears of fear.

"Very good." Lord Luc said coldly. "I should kill you here and now…but it would appear to suspicious if you were to go missing while I was accompanying you."

Jania shook as Lord Luc grabbed her arm and dragged her through a small abandoned servants tunnel. It led outside, to a beautiful garden where life was in bloom. Large trees overtook the walls and flowers bloomed at the height of their beauty.

"You will stay here and you will not move." Lord Luc said coldly. He gripped Jania's arm hard, and she cried out in pain as he shoved her to the ground. "One word of who I am to anybody…and I will make sure to kill you after I torture your father and feed him to my Trollocs! Is that understood?"

Jania nodded mutely, her head down as she cried bitter tears. For a moment, Luc thought of killing her then and there, but he sighed regretfully. He needed to keep a pleasant and unsuspicious profile. He would deal with the girl later and Luc stormed off back into the palace, leaving Jania alone to cry in peace.

* * *

Rand frowned as Mat and Perrin tied the horses to a tree trunk. This section of the wall was covered in vines, creepers and other plants. Flowers blossomed from the weeds that sprouted and Rand unsheathed his sword. _Saidin _pulsed within him and Rand automatically tried to seize it, but the severed part of his mind stood between it, like a man before a wide river. He slashed at the vines, deft flicks of his sword slicing through the plants with ease. After a few slashes, Perrin took out his axe and started hacking away. Min and Mat stood back as Perrin and Rand made short work of decades of plant growth. Finally, after a heap of cut and hacked plants had gathered at their feet, the faint outlines of a sturdy metal door.

"That's it!" Mat exclaimed, before he frowned. "It looks pretty sturdy."

"Perrin, the hammer," Rand said and Perrin nodded, taking the _cuendillar _hammer from his waist belt. He took a step back, before he jumped forward and bought the hammer over his head. It slammed against the door and there was a loud metallic thud. The door shook, dust falling from its hinges but it stood solid. Perrin slammed the hammer into it again, swinging it in a horizontal blow. His muscles strained as he lifted the hammer one more time and jabbed it sharply at the hinges. The door gave a final creak as it fell backwards, revealing a beautiful and lush garden inside.

"Inside everybody!" Rand hissed.

As they entered the beautiful gardens, Rand motioned for silence as they crept beneath the larges trees. The gardens looked deserted enough, still as beautiful as they were the day Rand had fallen into them. As he ploughed through the shrubs, he suddenly heard a soft crying.

"What's that?" Mat whispered.

"Sounds like a crying girl, she's young." Perrin answered, cocking his head. "She smells of fear."

Min eyed him oddly, having been let onto Perrin's secret a while back but still not used to comments like that.

Rand pushed through the shrubs until he came into the clearing. A small river trickled at one side and in the middle, a young girl who looked twelve or thirteen sobbed into her hands, her red hair played over her shoulders. Min and Perrin came silently behind him, but Mat tripped over a root as he was walking into the clearing and with a loud thud, he crashed to the ground,

"Blood and Ashes!" He shouted.

"It was a very good attempt at quiet Mat, until you broke it." Perrin said in exasperation.

The girl had looked up at the noise and Rand immediately recognised the slightly older features.

"Jania?" He asked in amazement.

"Lord Rand!" Jania breathed, her eyes wide. She gaped at him for a full minute as Mat picked himself from the ground, before she suddenly let out a sob and sprinted into him, her arms wrapping around his waist as she buried her head into his stomach. Rand gently patted on her on the back as he gazed at Mat, daring him to say something. But Mat had a soft spot for children and just smiled, while Min looked was smiling at Rand with approval.

"Lord Rand!" Jania gasped, tilting her head up. "You're dead!"

"The Dark One wishes so," Rand snorted. He released Jania and put her at arms length. "Why are you crying?"

Jania shivered, suddenly looking fearful as she glanced around. "He said that he will kill me and my father if I told anybody!"

"Slayer." Perrin muttered, sniffing at the air. "There is a foul scent here, half human and half something else."

"Lord Luc. It was him, wasn't it?" Rand asked Jania, who nodded.

"He was the one that led us into the Blight. He led the Trollocs!" Jania said, shivering in fear. Tear tracks marred her face and Mat smiled reassuringly as he came up.

"That's why we're here." He said as Jania looked at him. "To stop him!"

"What you will do Mat, is take Jania and Min to the Queen. Is your father here?" Rand told Mat, asking the question to Jania, who nodded hesitantly. "Good. Listen, I want you to tell him what you just told me. If you see Elayne, tell her that Lord Luc is Uncle Slayer, say that I told you that!"

Jania nodded, somewhat confused, while Mat's mouth dropped open in confusion. He scratched his he head but nodded.

"But…what about Slayer?" He asked.

"Perrin and I will look for him. Perrin can sniff him out for me, and I'll do what I can to kill him." Rand answered.

Min and Mat didn't look too pleased, but one look at Jania's tear streaked face was enough to stiffen their arguments. Mat nodded slowly and Min glanced at Rand, none too pleased. Rand couldn't have cared less as he turned to Perrin, who was already sniffing the air.

"This way," He muttered and pointed at a small side entry to the garden.

"Mat, Min. Be careful," Rand said seriously.

Mat nodded solemnly and slung a hand around Jania. "We'll protect her." He said. He held his quarterstaff in the other hand as he led Jania away.

"Rand…" Min started, before she shook her head. "Perrin, make sure this Woolhead doesn't get killed."

Perrin nodded, a small grin on his face as Min whirled around and hurried after Mat and Jania.

"Lead on," Rand said to Perrin.

* * *

Rand followed Perrin through a maze of servant corridors. Dust littered the air and the walls were faded and dull. Nobody had stepped through here in a long time. As Perrin turned a corner, he frowned and cocked his head as they approached a main hallway. Torches lay unused in the daytime, strapped to the wall, and paintings and other ornaments hung on the walls. They were in the main corridor, and Rand knew exactly where they were now.

"The scent…" Perrin suddenly muttered. "It's different."

"What?" Rand asked in surprise.

"It changed from the scent I was following back at the gardens to a normal man's." Perrin said, his eyes a blazing golden.

"It's probably part of his disguise. Can you still follow it?" Rand asked.

Perrin nodded, smoothing the stubble he hag growing on his chin. He pointed down the main corridor and the two of them started walking down it. Rand could feel his heart pumping faster as something like anticipation rushed through him. As they turned a corner, they both stopped at the man in front of them, who was frozen as he stared at the two.

"Hell Galad," Rand said slowly as he eyed the tall man. While not as tall as Rand, Galad was still taller than Perrin. He was a very handsome man, any girl who had been present would have told Rand that instantly. Dark hair lay smoothly brushed and he wore a long red coat, white silks poking underneath. A sword lay in his sheath and currently he was staring at Rand with a mixture of surprise and the never-ending calamity that he always seemed to possess.

"Rand al'Thor," Galad said, frowning slightly. "I had heard that you were dead."

Rand and Galad had never really spoken. Elayne did not like him; he was her half-brother on her father's side. So Rand had never had much contact with him and only knew what Elayne bitterly said when she was alone. Galad was a man of rules and he would always do what was right, no matter who got hurt in the process. He took his duties seriously and would start a war if it meant Elayne was saved from harm.

"Not quite." Rand said, shrugging and spreading his hands. "Galad, where's Elayne?"

Galad stared at him for a few moments. For a moment, Perrin thought that Galad hadn't seen him but he was aware of the tenseness in the man's body, could seem the sudden wariness that was produced. Despite that, Galad seemed at ease and his posture certainly didn't indicate any fear from being outnumbered two to one.

"Rand, Elayne is getting married to Lord Luc." Galad said patiently. "Despite any feelings you have for her, you can not disrupt them."

"What?" Rand asked, almost spluttering, as his cheeks suddenly felt warm. "No Galad! Elayne is in danger!"

"What do you know?" Galad asked instantly, his eyes boring into Rand.

"Lord Luc is not the man he appears." Rand told him.

"What do you mean?" Galad asked suspiciously. "How would you know Lord Luc?"

"Because I've met him before! Because he sent the Shadowspawn into Caemlyn all those years ago! Because he almost killed me in the Blight! Because his my blasted Uncle!" Rand snapped. "Pick one."

"He's your uncle?" Galad asked. Now true surprise showed on his face as Rand nodded impatiently.

"Look, if I'm wrong then so be it. But if I'm right…isn't it better to get to Elayne now?" Rand asked Galad, who eyed him strangely and nodded.

"Very well. I will take you to her and you will explain everything." Galad said, his tone suggesting that Rand would do just that."

He whirled around and with hurried footsteps Rand and Perrin followed him as he led them down the hall and began to climb a flight of steps.

"Who's that?" Perrin muttered to Rand as they hurried along.

"He's Elaynes half-brother. Same father, different mothers." Rand muttered back. They followed Galad for two minutes before he stopped in front of an ornate door, golden carvings etched into the silver frame. Galad wordlessly opened the doors and walked inside. Perrin exchanged a look with Rand, and noticed that Rand was suddenly reeking of hesitation and anticipation. They both walked in, following Galad.

* * *

Mat and Min followed Jania through a constant maze of halls, rooms and doors. The Caemlyn palace was larger than any of them had seen before, and filled with priceless artefacts. As they passed what looked like to be a suit of armour made of solid gold, Mat whistled.

"This is just like the stories." He said to Min, who nodded in agreement.

After five minutes of walking, Jania had taken them to a solid set of delicately carved doors. Six soldiers stood outside, their armours gleaming and their swords hanging from their scabbards. They were dressed in red and white armour and eyed the strangers suspiciously. But Jania shook her head at their inquisitive glances and with a look of dread, motioned for the Doorkeeper to open the doors.

Inside, a mixture of beautiful ladies dressed in their finest clothes and tall, strong Lord's met Mat's vision. He boggled at some of the jewellery they were wearing, one piece of that would have bough a house in Two Rivers! Some of them glanced at Mat and Min curiously, most of them showing a disdain for their ratty and dirty clothes. Jania however, was almost hiding behind Mat's leg as she peeked around for Lord Luc. After she couldn't see him, she heaved a huge sigh of relief and motioned for Mat and Min to follow her. She walked up to a dark haired man with sharp eyes who was chatting to a slender dark haired woman with a beautiful face and slightly fiery eyes. She wore green silks and a ring lay on her finger. Mat could recognise the serpent biting it's own tail as one of the symbols for eternity.

"Father, I need to talk to you." Jania said quietly. The woman glanced down at her, smiling briefly before her eyes flicked over Mat and Min. Mat squirmed under the look, it was as if she could see into her darkest fears and secrets, but Min stood even straighter and stared right back at her.

"Greetings Aes Sedai." She said and bowed her head stiffly.

Mat gaped at the woman. She was an Aes Sedai? One of the women from the stories that stated the Aes Sedai meddled in other people's business and plotted over the lives of ordinary people?

The dark haired woman bowed back as Jania's father cast an anxious glance down at his daughter.

"What is it Jania?"

"Father, do you know the man I met before? The one who took me to see the palace?" Jania started hesitantly. "Father…I…I had seen him before. In Shienar."

"Yes, I heard that Lord Luc had been a farmer in our nation when he had lost his memory." The man said.

"No Father!" Jania almost screamed. The man blinked, glancing at the Aes Sedai in mutual puzzlement. Jania shook her head as tears began to swell in her eyes. "Father, he was the man that led the Trollocs! He kidnapped me!"

Jania's Father stiffened, his back rigid as he stared at Jania in horror and shock. "Are you sure?" He asked faintly.

Jania nodded slowly, before she leapt into her father's arms. "I wanted to tell you…but I could feel something on my throat. Father, he took me outside and said he would kill you and feed you to Trollocs if I said anything!" She gasped between sobs.

Mat cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um…I'm a friend of Rand al'Thor's. I had a message I was meant to bring the Lady Elayne. It concerns Lord Luc."

"What is it?" The Aes Sedai asked sharply.

"Lord Luc is 'Uncle Slayer'." Mat quoted, making a face. "Does that make any sense to you?"

The Aes Sedai nodded slowly and a cold, burning anger began to sear in her eyes.

"Did Lord Rand leave you this message before he died?" Jania's father asked.

"No, he told us about five minutes ago before he went to track Slayer down," Min said, and had to hide her grin as both Lord and Aes Sedai made faces so twisted with surprise that it looked like they had sucked a lemon.

"Lord Rand is dead!" The man said, glaring at Mat and Min angrily.

"I felt him die!" The Aes Sedai said sharply.

Min and Mat exchanged uneasy looks. "Well, he wasn't dead five minutes ago." Mat said slowly.

The Aes Sedai appeared to have gone mute, her mouth opening and closing without making a sound.

"It's true Father, I saw him!" Jania said, her face still buried in her fathers coat.

"The bond…" The Aes Sedai muttered.

"He told me what happened and I think I know why the bond was snapped." Min offered tentatively. "But first we need to get Slayer!"

The man nodded slowly and glanced around the room. Oblivious Lord's and Ladies were chatting amiably and he raised his voice.

"Huin! Come here!"

A short man with dark hair in a topknot and one blue eye, the other green, walked over. He was dressed in soldiers clothing and he bowed.

"Lord Dremenden?" He asked.

"Huin, these two claim that Lord Rand is alive and Lord Luc is somebody named Slayer. What can you tell me?" Lord Dremenden said briskly.

Huin made a snort of surprise and disbelief. "Lord Rand is alive?" He asked loudly in surprise.

"What about Slayer?" Lord Dremenden asked impatiently.

"He was the man Lord Rand was chasing." Huin said, blinking.

The Aes Sedai nodded in agreement. "From what the Green Man told me, Slayer was the man that Rand fought at the Eye of the World."

"He almost killed Rand," Min put forward. "He arrived in Baerlon a year and a half later, half-exhausted and still recovering from the fight. He could barely move."

"Alanna, what should we do?" Lord Dremenden asked the Aes Sedai. Mat finally understood who the woman was, Alanna, the Aes Sedai who had bonded Rand as a Warder and had travelled with him.

"We should tell Queen Morgase, Lady Elayne. Then we should gather Lord Luc and see what he has to say for himself!" Alanna said, her voice tight with rage. "He dared attack my Warder!"

"Mat, never get between an Aes Sedai and her warder." Min whispered in his ear, and Mat nodded quickly. It seemed like a reasonable idea; with the way Alanna was looking he didn't want to be burnt alive from the inside, or any of the other horrible deaths that Aes Sedai bestowed upon people in the stories.

"Very well. I will find the Queen." Lord Dremenden said and quickly left, his face tense and anxious.

Mat and Min exchanged looks, not knowing what to do now.

* * *

Inside the room, Gawyn was dressed in his finest clothes as he stood behind Elayne, his back to the door. Elayne herself was seated on a chair in front while a plump woman was delicately drying her hair. For a moment Galad, Rand and Perrin stood still, staring at the beautiful girl's long red-gold hair and her shapely back.

"My Lady, you have visitors." Lord Galad intoned.

"Galad, go away and take them with you." Elayne said, not even looking back as she held her head high.

Galad hesitated and Gawyn turned his head. His eyes fell on Galad, then the unknown Perrin and then finally Rand. He made a choking noise, his eyes wide as shock flooded his face.

"Rand al'Thor!" He said in disbelief.

Elayne swung around and Rand finally got a good look at her. When he had left, she had been fourteen and had only started growing. Now she was sixteen, with a beautiful and rapidly maturing face and growing curves. Her mouth fell open at the sight of Rand and she staggered up, ignoring the bustling maid.

"They told me you were dead!" She whispered, her eyes shiny with moisture.

"In a way, I was." Rand said slowly. A true smile appeared on his face, lighting his eyes and washing away the tension that always seemed to be there. "Light Elayne, you have no idea how good it is to see you!"

"Rand al'Thor is here to warn you," Galad said, casting a look at Rand.

"You let me think you were dead for two years!" Elayne suddenly hissed, and dark splotches appeared on her cheeks.

"Elayne, I can explain everything later." Rand said urgently, striding forward and capturing her hands. "Lord Luc is Slayer! He's the one who ordered the attack on Caemlyn! He's the one that left me dying in the Eye of the World!"

"Lord Luc is Slayer?" Elayne repeated blankly. She frowned. "But the Soulless said that Slayer was your uncle!"

"My mother's name was Tigraine, before she became an Aiel and died." Rand said, waving it aside.

"Your mother's name was Tigraine?" Galad interrupted sharply.

Rand nodded and Galad flinched, looking like he had been struck.

"Rand," Gawyn said worriedly. "You mean that Slayer is a Darkfriend?"

"He's much worse." Rand said grimly.

Suddenly the doors opened again and Rand stiffened as a clear and calm voice spoke.

"What's this? I hope I am not interrupting anything Lady Elayne, Lord Gawyn, Lord Galad."

* * *

Perrin stiffened as Lord Luc walked into the room. He could see the resemblance to Rand now that he knew what he was looking. The man's harsh face was softened by a gentle smile and his clear blue eyes were light and mischievous. But his scent…it was still disguised as a human, but Perrin shuddered at the unbearable hate that radiated from the man despite his best efforts to hide it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Lord Luc asked him pleasantly. His eyes suddenly narrowed and a glint of rage appeared as Perrin lifted his head, his golden eyes gleaming. Hate twisted Luc's features for just a second, before it was gone as suddenly as it appeared and Perrin was almost certain that he had imagined it. Whatever the wolves felt about Slayer, Slayer felt just as strongly about the wolves and by his reaction, he knew what Perrin was.

"Perrin." Perrin answered coldly, his hand fingering his axe

Lord Luc nodded pleasantly, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "It is a pleasure to meet you Perrin," His eyes drifted to the axe and the _cuendillar _hammer, and at the sight of the hammer he stiffened again.

"Lady Elayne, it is always a pleasure to meet your friends but we should be leaving at your earliest convenience." Lord Luc said charmingly, turning back to Elayne. He almost frowned at the man, who had his back turned and his head bent, spotting how he was holding Elayne's hands. "Galad, how is the book I leant you?"

Galad said nothing but stared at him stonily and without expression. Lord Luc faltered and turned to Gawyn, who was looking just as Galad was.

"Elayne, what is going on?" He asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps you could tell me Luc," Elayne said coldly and the man in front of him and lifted his head. Familiar reddish-brown hair swished as he turned his head, grey eyes burning into Luc's. Luc took an involuntary step backwards, his mouth open in shock and his eyes wide. Rand al'Thor!

* * *

"Hello Uncle Slayer." Rand said mockingly, his hand holding his sword hilt.

Lord Luc's mind raced desperately, trying to find a way out of this. How in the Great Lord's name had al'Thor survived?

"I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" Lord Luc asked pleasantly, trying to ignore the way al'Thor was looking at him.

"Do not try to talk your way out of this," Rand said softly.

"Elayne who is this man?" Lord Luc asked.

"This is Rand al'Thor, my Defender and bodyguard and my most trusted friend. He came to bring me some rather…startling news." Elayne said chillingly. The maid in the room was pressed in the corner, her eyes flicking over Lord Luc and Rand al'Thor was equal fear. Lord Luc felt dread sink into his heart. It was over; another of the Great Lord's schemes was finished.

"Really?" Lord Luc said weakly. "And what would that be?"

Rand said nothing, but his hand flicked and a knife appeared, whirling through the air. Lord Luc instinctively raised his hands, True Power flowing through him, burning his veins and his mind. A glowing oily black tendril of power zapped from his fingers, lancing at the knife and hurling it from the air. It landed on the ground, twisted and melted and Lord Luc bristled at the smug look on al'Thor's face.

"Very well," Lord Luc said and his pleasant mask dropped. Hatred and rage twisted his handsome features and Gawyn pushed Elayne back, his hand reaching for his belt knife. "You've surprised al'Thor. I honestly believed you were dead."

"Well, as you can see I'm perfectly healthy and alive." Rand said, motioning with his hand to Perrin. His head jerked back towards Elayne and Perrin nodded slowly.

Slayer looked murderous, black power warping his frame. Twisted and evil energy burnt in his eyes like furnaces, and the maid shrieked with fear as she sprinted from the room. Perrin caught Gawyn's eye and gestured to Elayne and the door. Gawyn nodded slowly and started pushing Elayne away from Slayer and from the room.

Slayer didn't appear to notice as he stalked forward, his hands flickering to his sword. Bright blue clothes clashed horrible with his dark expression, his glinted eyes and his general posture.

"You should have stayed where you were, you should have let me continue to believe that you were dead. Now, I'm going to make sure that I do the job properly this time." He hissed.

"Like last time?" Rand asked scornfully. His sword flicked from his scabbard, appearing into his hand as he circled Slayer. Galad stood still as Perrin, Gawyn and Elayne quietly left the room, his eyes showing the first true emotion Rand had ever seen. Betrayal. Slayer noticed and smirked at the young man.

"Galad, meet your half-brother on your mother's side." He drawled.

Rand started, staring at surprise at Galad. Galad…that's right! His father had married Morgase after his mother had disappeared…Tigraine! His mother was Tigraine! Galad stared at Rand with a hollow expression and his sword suddenly shot into his hands.

"Lord Luc, you are to remain where you are until the Queens Guard arrive. You will then be arrested and interrogated. If you do not comply, I will kill you." Galad said firmly.

Slayer laughed, and two voices laughed with him, one dark and one light. He pulled his silver sword from his scabbard and beckoned with one hand. "Brothers uniting to kill the wicked Uncle. I like it." He laughed darkly. "Come on then, come and kill me!"

Galad moved forward like a striking serpent, moving smoothly. Rand also moved forward, his sword slicing through the air. Slayer sidestepped, bringing his sword up to block Galad, and his leg kicked out at Rand. Rand grunted as something slammed into his stomach and he reeled backwards. Slayer blocked several of Galad's next strikes while he launched an offensive on Rand. Eagle over Mountain met a stumbling Rock in River; Heron Wades in Marsh was barely blocked away as Rand desperately gasped for breath, winded. His mind sought the Void, burying itself deeply into it and when Hammer Meets Anvil slashed downwards, Soaring Eagle pushed it away and delivered a small slash to Slayer's arm.

Slayer's eyes glittered in hate as Galad continued his attack, flowing through the motions. Rand thought that if Galad had another years training, he would be a Blademaster for certain. But Slayer was much better than Galad and much faster than even Rand. He had improved from the Eye of the World; there was little doubt in Rand's mind that he was drawing his speed and strength from the Dark One. Only the combined efforts of the two allowed them to press on, blades slicing through the air and clanging. Rand's blade erupted in a shower of cackling lightning every time it struck, while Galad's sword clanged horrible. Slayer moved like a diving bird, his sword flicking and swinging wildly but with finesse and skill. He grinned maniacally, chucking darkly as he delivered a strong punch to Galad's face, sending him sprawling back.

Rand jumped froward, covering for his half-brother as his sword hummed and throbbed. He could feel every particle the blade, and they all hummed with the expectant release of _Saidin. _But even as his mind quested for it, he knew it was useless. The severed part of his mind was infinite and unavoidable, and while the heat and expectance if _Saidin _ran through him, he had nothing to embrace as his desperately tried to outfight Slayer. As Galad staggered up, Slayer suddenly stepped backwards and let go of his sword with his left hand. He raised his right hand at Rand, and for a moment Rand could have sworn heat billowed from his parting lips that were curved in a dangerous smile.

From his hand, tendrils of his oily power shot out, one at a time. Rand bought his sword up, dancing to music only he could here as he sliced and slashed, ducking and sidestepping the tendrils he couldn't hit. He did not want to get hit by those again; he could feel the slight pain of his old injuries even now. Slayer laughed as if he were having the greatest time of his life as Rand struggled to hold back his power.

"There is no Eye of the Word to save you here!" He crowed. Suddenly he gave a scream of pain as a knife hilt appeared in his chest. Dark blood blossomed over his silk shirt as he stared down at disbelief, before whirling around to Galad, who was standing strongly with his sword in his hand despite his bruising and half-closed eye.

"You blasted boy!" He roared and an arc of power erupted from him. Galad threw himself to the ground as it sizzled the air overhead, slicing into the stonewall like a sharp knife through paper. Growling, Slayer quickly turned back to Rand only to see him sheathing his sword, one hand holding a glowing crystal.

"Blood and Ashes!" Slayer muttered as the glowing crystal's light ebbed away.

Rand raised his own hand and Slayer drew his power around him, surrounding himself with dark and oily energy. His features appeared warped and even more demonic behind a bubble of liquid-like ebony power, just as Rand thrust his hand forward. Air threads tied to water threads, fire threads adding with a dash of spirit and finally tying themselves off. A bolt of searing lightning, roaring with thunder, met with a rotating jet of flames and was hurled at Slayer. A burning heat filled the room as the ground rumbled, shuddering slightly as the lightning and fire met liquid energy. The oily power parted for a second as the _Saidin _created lightning and fire strained to break through the shield, but Slayer directed even more of his power to the shield and the ebony energy swallowed up the lightning and fire.

Galad watched with wide eyes and a startled face as Rand moved forward, his hand reaching into his coat for a second crystal as he carelessly threw the other one away. As he drew _Saidin _through it, the bubble around Slayer rippled and shot forward with the speed of a stallion. _Saidin _had flooded Rand, a whirlwind of chaos and an avalanche of power. Rand stood in the centre of it and as he had merely a second to react, he through his hands up instinctively. From them, a thin glimmering black and silver circle rotated from his hands. He could feel the _Saidin _drain away instantly but the orb of True Power cackled madly as it collided with the circle, disappearing inside of it just as the black and silver circle winked out of existence.

Slayer appeared startled, his face twisted with confusion and rage. "A portal?" He whispered.

Rand quickly threw the other crystal away and went for his last crystal. As Slayer raised his hands, Rand seized _Saidin _again. Power flowed through both of them, but Slayer formed a ball of purple flickering flames in his hands, and he hurled it at Rand. Rand threw himself to the floor, the crystal falling from his hands and smashing to the ground as the flames flew overhead. The table and chair behind Rand exploded in bits of shrapnel and the wall lost a large chunk as the ball of flames slammed into. Rand, still on the ground with an outstretched hand, instinctively channelled. Power drained out of him at alarming speed and for an instant, a bar of solid liquid flames, white and brilliant and similar to what he had seen Melanie of the Aiel channel at a Darkhound once, erupted. It winked out a second later, but Slayer had grunted as he hurled himself aside like the bar was the most dangerous thing in the world. The bar seared into the door as Rand moved his hand down, searing through the metal and eating through to the other side. As it disappeared, Rand instinctively reached for another crystal but there were none left.

Slayer picked himself up and laughed chillingly. "Well, it appears that you have nothing left to channel from!" He gloated. Galad shook himself from his stupor and launched himself at Slayer, who merely flicked a finger. Galad was tossed aside like a rag-doll, slamming against the wall and dropping to the ground. He lay, dazed and in pain and unable to move.

Rand growled and lifted his sword. _Saidin _beckoned him but he had no crystals left to channel from, no True Source to reach out to.

"And your friends have no Nym to save them this time!" Slayer continued. Dark energy pulsed off him and shadows formed. Something dark and slithery, oily and black and full of rotting tainted power rolled off him and suddenly from the shadows came three Darkhounds, snarling silently, their glowing red eyes burning brightly. Without any word from Slayer, they crashed through the open door and sprinted down the hallway. "Did you love Elayne, al'Thor? She will die because of her association with you!"

Rand hesitated, his sword held high as he looked at the wrecked doors. From the ground, Galad sent a pleading look to Rand, his eyes flicking over the door. He struggled up, his sword scraping against the ground and Slayer turned to him. It was that moment that Rand ran, nodding gratefully at Galad, ducking Slayer and cashing the Darkhounds with all of his might.

* * *

Perrin watched as Gawyn and Elayne walked briskly away from the room. There were two minutes of silence as Elayne had her eyes glazed over, thinking about something.

"Who are you?" Gawyn asked Perrin, breaking the silence.

Perrin hesitated, but bowed his head as they walked. "I am Perrin Aybara…My Lord. I grew up with Rand."

Gawyn nodded slowly as they turned another, corner, before the palace suddenly rumbled and shook slightly. Perrin hesitated, leaning on the wall to get support as Gawyn held his sister.

"What was that?" Gawyn asked, his eyes worried.

"Rand and Slayer," Perrin answered slowly.

Elayne flinched and looked like she was about to turn back, when Perrin stiffened. He could smell something, something rotting and burning and full of a peculiar sulphuric smell. He frowned and squinted down the hallway they had just left.

"What is it?" Gawyn asked slowly.

"Something's coming!" Perrin hissed, taking his axe and hammer from his belt. He quested out with his mind and with smell strong in his nose, sent it to any wolf nearby. There were a dozen of them, maybe in the palace itself! They had found a way in and when Perrin showed them the smell, loud wolf howls echoed the walls.

_Shadowbrothers! Run Young Bull! Take pack and Run!_

Perrin growled angrily as the howls came closer and closer. They were coming from the front of them while the shadowbrothers were coming from behind.

"Wolves?" Elayne whispered, her eyes wide but determined.

"They're not howling at us." Perrin answered slowly and for a moment, his eyes mirrored that of a wolf. "They're howling at whatever is coming from behind us."

"What is it?" Elayne asked slowly.

"Shadowbrothers!" Perrin snarled, his hands gripping his axe and hammer firmly. "That's the wolves call them."

"Shadowbrothers? Brothers of the wolves…shadow…Darkhounds!" Gawyn quickly made the connection, just as three pony-sized figures burst from the corridor behind them. They had burning red eyes and thick muscular legs, their teeth sharp and wicked. Sulphur burnt in the air and every step they took melted the stone beneath their feet.

Elayne gasped and Gawyn swallowed as the Darkhounds began sprinted towards them with the speed of a horse. Perrin readied himself, his mind questing out for help. Answering howls appeared from behind them and a grey blur jumped over them, stopping to reveal a snarling wolf. There were a dozen of them as they growled and snarled at the Darkhounds.

"Your friends?" Gawyn asked tightly, gesturing towards the ferocious looking wolves and holding his sister tight to his chest. Perrin nodded as the Darkhounds came to a slow run, almost as if they were hesitating. Fury, anger and hatred slammed at Perrin's mind as the wolves howled again, their loud voices of anger and challenge echoing in the halls.

The Darkhounds jumped forward, meeting the wolves in a battle of teeth and claws. They snapped at the wolves, who responded in kind as grey sleeks slammed into the twisted animals. For a moment Perrin stood still, before he felt unbearable pain as one Darkhound grabbed a wolf by the throat and bit into it deeply, killing it instantly. Another Darkhound swiped its paw and a wolf was gutted, dropping to the ground. With a roar of his own, he jumped for the nearest Darkhound as it killed another wolf. The Darkhound looked up and snarled as Perrin dropped onto it, his axe swinging into its hide. It roared and staggered back as Perrin rushed forward with his shoulder up and slammed it back. He swung his hammer and missed cracking the wall as the Darkhound ducked and reappeared, looking murderous. Perrin could feel the rage, anger, disgust and the excitement and eagerness of the Hunt and he surrendered to it as he and the Darkhound collided.

* * *

Mat and Min felt the shudders that rocked through the palace. As Lord's and Ladies looked around anxiously, Alanna Sedai and another stern looking woman argued. Mat couldn't hear their words from here but it looked as if Alanna would explode as fury raged on her face. Nearby, Lord Dremenden chatted quickly with a beautiful and middle-aged woman with red-golden locks and crystal blue eyes. If she had been a widow in Two Rivers, she would have had a line of suitors outside her doors despite how good she was at cooking.

"Stop ogling the Queen of Andor!" Min hissed, digging her elbow into his stomach.

"What? That's the Queen!" Mat asked in shock. He averted his eyes, instead focussing on a serving girl with dark eyes and a slim body. He smiled at her and she smiled hesitantly back. Mat grinned, before the castle shook again, this time much more fiercely.

"What is that?" Mat asked.

Min shuddered. "Rand and Slayer probably."

Mat winced as Dremenden finally finished talking to the Queen, who was looking pale but determined. Alanna had finished talking to the other Aes Sedai and was now talking to Dremenden, while Jania hung at her father's legs. The other nobles did not miss this but they kept pleasant expressions on their faces. Some looked worried, probably of the shaking castle as the Queen stood up.

"Excuse me!" She said loudly. "I have a matter to take care off. Eladia, Alanna, Lord Dremenden, if you would please accompany me." She strode from the room, the two Aes Sedai following her. Mat and Min exchanged looks and they followed her out as well, where she was talking to a tall man with golden knots on his shoulder.

"…You were there Tallanvor." The Queen was saying. "Get your men and follow me. You will bear a witness to this."

The man bowed and gestured quickly, and two-dozen armoured figures surrounded the Queen, Tallanvor in the lead.

"This should be good," Mat muttered as he and Min hurried to catch them. One of the guards looked back and frowned.

"This is Andorran business," He snapped. "Go back to the room and wait for the Queen to return."

"You wouldn't even be on this business if it weren't for us!" Mat snapped at him.

"Guardsmen," The Queen said smoothly and he bowed as she stopped, gazing at Mat and Min with interest. "They may join me."

Mat and Min were allowed in the circle and as the group started walking again, a loud volleys of wolf howls echoed in the room.

"Perrin!" Mat breathed and the Queen glanced sharply at him.

"These noises mean something to you?" She asked as the guards shifted nervously as another fierce set of howls echoed down the halls.

"The wolves are…pets of a friend of mine. They don't mean you harm…er…your majesty." Mat answered quickly. The Queen stared at him regally and he felt like squirming, even Min shifted, before she nodded.

"Rand al'Thor has strange friends." She remarked as they turned a corner, before stopping suddenly as the sounds of battle and snarls could be heard. The guards leapt in front of her, their swords withdrawn as they guarded the Queen. Mat peaked out from the behind the guards and gasped. A girl of maybe sixteen years old and a boy his age with the Queens looks were running towards them. Behind them, wolves battled their dark-looking counterparts in a fit of snarls and growls. Teeth clashed as grey streaks lashed out as the crimson eyed beasts. But it was the wolves who were dying, seven of them lay torn apart. Perrin was in the middle of it all, his axe spinning and whirling around like a windmill and his hammer being swung with tremendous strength as he battled a creature all by himself.

"Perrin!" Mat yelled and quickly struggled out of the crowd, ignoring the guards as he sprinted past the girl and boy and lifted his quarterstaff. He slammed it down on the creature's head as he appeared next to Perrin, whirling it around and jabbing it sharply in its stomach. Perrin groaned as he lifted himself off the floor, but his eyes were gleaming gold and he raised his axe, slicing it through the air. The creature jumped back, returning to its comrade's side and four wolves, one limping badly, joined Perrin's side as they all slowly backed away. The three creatures snarled angrily, their saliva dripping from their teeth. When it hit the floor, there was a hiss as it melted through stone.

"Stand back!" Came a cool voice and Mat glanced back as Alanna and a woman with a face neither old nor young and dark hair stepped forward. Suddenly fire leapt from their hands and the creatures yelped as they jumped back, whining and growling angrily. The Aes Sedai stepped forward calmly, their faces a mask of calm as lightning flashed from the roof. It struck one creature, but apart from growling in pain and shaking its head, it did nothing. Suddenly somebody appeared from behind the creatures, his face pale and tight and his sword high. All of the Darkhounds swivelled their heads and Rand hesitated, swallowing nervously as he stopped, his sword up.

* * *

Rand sprinted along the halls, his mind racing. He ignored the pain in his muscles and the aches of his legs. The only thing that mattered was catching those Darkhounds! He had heard wolf howls a minute ago and could only hope that Perrin was still alive and the wolves had defeated the Darkhounds. His heart sank as he spotted a massacre up ahead. Seven twisted and broken bodies of wolves lay on the ground, blood spilled. The Darkhound footprints continued past them and Rand turned a corner, his sword raised, only to skid to a stop.

In front of him were three Darkhounds, all who were looking at him. Beyond them, Mat, Perrin, Alanna and Eladia stood with four wolves, and beyond them a wall of guards could not hide the features of Elayne, Gawyn, the Queen and Lord Dremenden.

"Ah," Rand said, taking a step backwards. The Darkhounds simultaneously leapt at him, and he flowed through the forms. Hammer meets Anvil split the skull of one of them, while Bird of a Windmill slashed at the flanks of two of them as he ducked and they jumped over his head. One of the Darkhounds collapsed, shaking and whining while tow other whined as Rand whirled around, jumping over the injured one. Golden streaks had been dug into their sides, and smoke floated from their wounds. The injured one had a golden splattering that was eating through its skull, and it managed to get up and stagger back to its comrades.

For a moment, Rand stared at his sword in wonder. He had sliced open a Darkhound before and this had never happened. But that was before his sword had been dipped into pure _Saidin, _the Eye of the World. The Darkhounds moved forward quickly, but they shied away and faltered as Rand pointed his sword at them. They eyed it warily, like a dog that eyed the whip, and whined pitifully. Suddenly Rand heard a noise in the corridor on his right and he looked, only to see the body of Galad flying through the air. He landed on the wall next to Rand, groaning and mumbling as blood trickled down his forehead. Rand looked back just as Slayer raised his hands and channelled his power. A cackling stream of purple and black lightning erupted from each fingertip and Rand had to swing around, his back facing the wall as he raised his sword.

* * *

To Perrin, it looked as if lightning had erupted from the unseen hallway, and Rand had to lift his sword. The purple and black energy cascaded down the blade, and a golden glow enveloped the sword as Rand grimaced, planting his feet in the ground as he was driven back. The Darkhounds, no longer threatened by the sword, jumped forward eagerly.  
Perrin roared as lightning and fire erupted from the Aes Sedai next to him and leapt forward, the wolves at his side as he collided with one of the Darkhounds. His axe and hammer blurred as he and the wolves battled one of the Darkhounds, while the Aes Sedai wielded their powers to combat the other. Mat attacked the wounded one with his quarterstaff, it was like smacking a lame and blind dog as he jabbed and whacked the Darkhound relentlessly. And all during this, Rand struggled to keep back the fearsome power of Slayer.

* * *

Rand could feel the sweet song of _Saidin, _just begging to be touched. He almost roared in frustration as once again he scrambled for it with his mind and found only a gaping chasm. The sword was burning, the blade glowing red-hot as the energy cackled over it. A golden aura was shining over the blade and seemed to be the only thing that kept the lightning back. Suddenly another cascade of purple and black energy buckled the sword and Rand cried out in pain and agony as his sword was forced aside and the lightning struck him. Pure pain floated in his veins, the darkness of the power crying for his life, and he felt it lift him up off the ground. He clutched his sword, trying to bring it up, when suddenly the lightning stopped and he was hurled down the corridor, landing on the ground with a thump. He stirred, pain still singing in his veins as his sword dropped from his fingers. Twitching, he let the sounds of battle wash over him. Snarls and growls could be heard, and the deadened shouts and roars of men. Lightning and fire flashed in his eyes, and he could dimly see Alanna confronting Slayer in rage, her fiery eyes glinting as she wielded her powers against his. Slayer seemed to be fighting back just as fiercely, slashing at the air at unseen weaves. Fireballs leapt from both hands, the walls cracked and broke for no reason, the ground rumbled and splintered and _Saidar _met True Power in the air, ebony glowing light muting shining lightning and fire. Slayer lanced out and Alanna screamed a true scream of pure pain as Slayer clutched her in his mental grips, before tossing her aside with a thud.

Rand moaned, seeking the Void more than ever, and he sat up. His head swam and he could feel blood pouring from his ears. The smell of burnt flesh surrounded him and his coat was charred and blackened. As Slayer turned towards the other Aes Sedai, he dimly saw Perrin slam the spikes of his axe into a Darkhounds head, the hammer coming the other direction and crushing the skull into powder, and Mat whacking a fallen Darkhound over and over. A volley of arrows flew at the third Darkhound, which already had shafts poking from its skin, and three more wolves lay dead on the ground, a forth panting and whining as it retreated to the wall of guards, which allowed it to pass.

"So, al'Thor is finally on his knees before me." Slayer growled as Eladia crumpled to the ground, moaning in pain. "You have ruined another one of the Great Lord's plans."

Rand could only groan in pain and desperately seek the _Saidin _that was singing in his mind. The chasm blocked him as usual, but he fought against it vigorously. Slayer could sense what he was doing and laughed chillingly.

"You were severed from the True Source." He gloated. "You seek something that is not there!"

Rand ignored him as he explored the chasm fully. Frustrated, he left his mind and suddenly he was in the sword. He could feel everything of the sword, every single little particle, and at the end of it lay a pool of glowing silver. Something blocked him there was well, and Rand's eyes fell to his sword as Slayer stopped laughing, sensing what Rand was feeling. His eyes also flickered to the sword and his raised his hand in a panic.

* * *

Elayne struggled past the guards as Rand lay twitching on the ground, Slayer standing above him.

"Elayne, no!" A Guard cried out but Elayne ignored her, dashing past the Perrin and the man with the quarterstaff as she f burst past Slayer, her eyes wide and panicked as she stood in front of Rand. Slayer had raised his hand and a bar of purple flames erupted form it, illuminating his surprised face.

"No!" Elayne cried out, flinging her hands outwards. She pleaded with Creator to do something, anything! She needed help…and suddenly something rushed through and burst from her hands. A silvery-blue bubble shot out, crashing with the flames. There was a grating noise like metal over metal as both the silvery-blue bubble and the dark flames disappeared, and Slayer appeared startled, just as Rand reached for his sword.

* * *

_Saidin _rushed through him, filling his very core with light. Heat burned within him and he was in the middle of unpredictable power, fighting wildly for control. He struggled for an eternity before he held _Saidin _in his grips, the sword drawing it from the Eye of the World, the only link to it. Every time he had touched the sword, he had tried to reach for it in the wrong place! Like the crystal, he drew _Saidin _from the sword and felt it flow into him. He stood up and gently pushed Elayne aside as Slayer watched with furious eyes as a bar of brilliant white liquid flame, destructive and terrifying, shot from his sword at Slayer. Slayer gathered his power but he knew he was doomed unless…he mentally called for his servants. Suddenly the third Darkhound, full of dozens of arrows jumped up to meet the bar, which swallowed it up. It flickered, shimmering and collapsing on itself and disappearing in a burst of white mist.

Slayer roared and from his hands came an arc of ebony energy, slicing into stone and rushing to meet Rand. Rand channelled, putting tother weaves of air, water and spirit, and a glowing circle rotated from his outstretched hand and swallowed up the arc. Another arc leapt at him and Rand slashed through the air with a slice of fire, and the arc broke away and crumbled. The glowing spinning circle shot past Slayer, how ignored it and drew in his power. A wall of purple flames suddenly blanketed the hallway and shot towards Rand. Rand dragged Elayne behind him while using _Saidin _to shield the body of Galad, and lifted his sword. Fire and Earth wove with spirit and water and suddenly a fiery red beam shot into the wall of flames. The ground rumbled and the walls shook as the fiery beam sucked in the flames, drinking them in like water and bursting past them to impact on the floor in front of Slayer.

Slayer looked down and suddenly surrounded himself with the True Power, an ebony orb with him at the centres. The glowing blue shield that had passed him stretched across the hallway to where Perrin, Mat and the guards stood. It flickered as it settled itself, just as the ground under Slayer exploded in a fountain of stone. A gaping chasm was there and fire leapt up to meet Slayer. Slayer was standing on the flames, the dark orb surrounding him protecting him from the searing heat. His distorted features were a mix of rage and fear as Rand lifted his sword.

Air threads tied to water threads, fire threads adding with a dash of spirit to produce a streak of lightning with rotating flames surrounding it, which burst from the sword with a roar. It sizzled over the chasm and struck the dark orb, and the ground rumbled and the walls shook again. Slayer's face was twisted with effort and fear as his power tried to overcome the lightning, but the dark orb slowly strained around the lightning and a hollow point appeared in the orb. Slayer screamed as flames rushed over him, burning his skin and face as the orb flickered and disappeared, and he managed to jump from the chasm. His face was horrible burnt on one side, his clothes on fire and his skin bubbling and he lifted his hands. Rand prepared a nasty weave, just as shadows enveloped him. When they faded, Slayer was nowhere to be seen.

Rand released _Saidin _and his mind was thrown from the Void by the multitude of emotions and sensations he was feeling. Three things happened, first the glowing shield of air and water and spirit suddenly disappeared and guards hesitantly moved forward. Second, the chasm in the floor suddenly stopped its fires, and roaring flames died down in an instant, leaving nothing but a shallow hole, and thirdly, Rand collapsed to the ground, only partly aware of Elayne cradling him in her arms. His grip on his sword died as his body relaxed and he fell into the black.


	24. Caemlyn: Saidar and Escape

**A/N- Hey everybody. If you hadn't known, my Account was suspended for a week over another story. So this is the update you have been waiting for. **

**Unfortunately, I won't have time to make continious updates like I did before. I have started my last year in school and already in the first week, I am being bogged down by hours of homework. Hopefully I'll be able to get a chapter out every week when I have some spare time on the weekeneds. **

**Cheerio **

* * *

Perrin sat at Rand's beside, watching his friend draw breath through closed eyes. It was a week later and there were dozens of rumours that were spreading around Caemlyn. One person said that the Dark One had walked in the Palace and Rand had fought him. Another said that Whitecloaks had tried to kill the Daughter-Heir and Rand had saved her life, while another said that Aes Sedai had gone mad and started rumbling and shaking the palace about before Rand stopped them. It was commonly agreed that Rand had done something important and that the Queen, Light bless her name, had declared that Rand was of Royal Blood.

After the battle, Perrin had watched with a daze as several things had happened, moving so fast that even Perrin didn't understand what had happened. Rand had immediately been spirited away by Alanna, a dark haired and fiery-eyed Aes Sedai who had threatened to burn her way through anybody who tried to stop her. After several Healing attempts, the burns and blackened skin had been healed but Rand still slept. The other Aes Sedai, who went by the name of Eladia, had immediately wanted to bring Rand to Tar Valon for questioning about his usage of _Saidin. _

Perrin had smelt so much anger and determination pouring off both Aes Sedai that he though they would start fighting each other, before the Queen herself had stepped in and had said that since Rand was of royal blood, he was staying in Andor under her protection. One hundred men stayed awake while Rand slept, their orders to guard him from anybody who did not have permission to be there.

After Eladia had unsuccessfully finished dealing with Rand, her attentions had turned to him. Perrin was well aware of the looks he received, with his golden eyes and the lone wolf survivor named Flash (_Well, the closest translation would be Oak-Tree-With-Sunbeams-Reflecting-Off-Nearby-Stream but Perrin called her Flash_) that walked by his side, healed by Alanna when she had gotten time to do so. Eladia had wanted to take him to the White Tower for sure and Perrin had squirmed under her dark gaze. Fortunately, Elayne and Gawyn had stepped in and reminded Eladia that this was Caemlyn, not Tar Valon, and that she did not have power here. She was an advisor, nothing else.

So while Rand slept, Min and Elayne kept a close bedside vigil on him. For a moment Perrin had smelled jealousy and envy radiating off both girls as they stared at each other, but they had smiled and seemed to have gotten along well. Mat was content to stay with the soldiers, playing dice and cards and winning more than he lost. He already owned a new quarterstaff, made of polished steel, and a new set of clothes that would have looked fine on a Lord. Perrin mainly stayed inside the palace gardens, tending to Flash with an almost guilty conscience. But Flash seemed not to mind that the rest of her pack was dead. She had fought Shadowbrothers and had seen them die. She was content, only looking forward to getting back to the hunt.

Perrin had been surprised when Egwene and Nynaeve had appeared two days after Rand had fallen asleep. They had been furious with the boys and Perrin had lowered his gaze at Nynaeve's fierce one and had to endure her sharp tongue until he was able to manage to impress the seriousness of the situation. Rand was in the Palace infirmary, under twenty-four-hour guard, for his own protection. But not even the battle-toughened men could stop an irate Nynaeve and Egwene storming into the room. They had thrown desperate glances at Perrin, who had shrugged ruefully and followed them in.

Nynaeve had immediately placed a hand on Rand's head, feeling his temperature. Frowning, she had mixed together some kind of past and had mixed it with water, before making Rand drink it. A scowl had appeared on her face and she had slammed her hand down on Rand's chest in anger. It was at that point that Rand had gasped, and he's eyes had almost fluttered open before he had sunken back to sleep. Alanna Sedai had walked into the room at that point and had taken Nynaeve aside immediately, her eyes regarding her thoughtfully rather than scolding her. It was only with Perrin's good hearing that he was able to hear the conversation as he sat at the other end of the infirmary

* * *

"Did you know you could channel child?" Alanna asked Nynaeve, her eyes boring into Nynaeve's. "You and the other one." 

"That's nonsense!" Nynaeve scoffed but Egwene had perked up, her eyes wide.

"I can channel?" She asked with a squeak.

"Oh yes," Alanna said with a smile. "You are both very powerful, you more than any Aes Sedai in a thousand years and your friend more powerful than you."

Nynaeve tugged on her braid and glared at Alanna. "Horse-spit!" She spat out. "Somebody should strap you for telling lies!

Alanna flinched and staggered back, her hand rubbing her bottom ruefully. "You just did," She murmured as she rubbed her bottom, wincing. "You are a wilder, I can tell that. Egwene is new to the power but you have channelled before."

Nynaeve looked as if she wanted to hit the Aes Sedai, indeed her hand straightened and she glared at Alanna. "What is a wilder?" She asked, despite herself.

"To understand wilders, you must understand the nature of channelers." Alanna began. "There are two types of people who can draw the One Power. There are those who can be taught but will never touch the One Power without tutelage, and there are those who are born with the power inside them, a spark if you will. When a woman with the spark is born, she will eventually channel whether she likes it or not. In these cases, three out of four women die if the White Tower does not find them. Of those who live, they only survive because they find a way to block the One Power from themselves. Sometimes the block can be emotional and sometimes it could be physical. For instance, I knew a wilder that was taken into the White Tower with a block on herself. She could not channel unless she waved her hands. You…I think that you can't channel unless you are angry."

"That's…" Nynaeve began but swallowed nervously as Alanna rounded on her.

"Think girl. Have you ever been so angry that made something happen? Something that shouldn't have been possible but it was?" Alanna asked.

Nynaeve swallowed, her mouth dry. "When…When Egwene was thirteen she had contracted a fever. It was bad…really bad in fact. We all thought she would die, and I remember myself getting so angry when the Wisdom said that there was nothing she could do, so I mixed the usual herbs up again and fed them to her. She got better and everybody said that it was a miracle."

Egwene stared at her in surprise, never having heard that story before.

"Did you feel sick afterwards?" Alanna asked gently.

Nynaeve frowned. "Actually…a week later I had a fever and chills myself. For a moment, I though I had the same illness that Egwene had but it passed after a few days."

"That's what happens when you reach for the True Source at first. Your body has to adapt to the changes, to get used to the power than runs through it." Alanna said, her arms folded into her lap. She looked pleased as Nynaeve tried to shake her head in denial but thought better of it. "Egwene, have you ever done something that could be classed as miraculous or impossible before?" Alanna asked as she eyed Egwene.

"In the Two Rivers, before we left. I made Tam al'Thor tell us where Rand was." Egwene whispered. Alanna looked up sharply at that as Egwene continued, her hands shaking. "I was sick on the trip here. I was on a boat…I though it was just seasickness but I had been on the boat for three days and that was the first time…Do…do you think I can be an Aes Sedai?"

"You have the ability," Alanna said but she frowned. "But Tar Valon is very interested in Rand at the moment. What he did…such power has not been seen for a long time, man or women. He has the ability to channel clean and untainted _Saidin_ and Tar Valon will want him. If they find out you are from the same village as he is, they will use you to manoeuvre him where they want him to go."

"Are you sure?" Egwene whispered in horror.

Alanna nodded. "I have had the shawl for forty years…it means I have been an Aes Sedai for that long. I have seen it done before."

"Aren't you an Aes Sedai? Why are you telling us this?" Nynaeve asked, scowling at her.

Alanna hesitated and shrugged her slim shoulders. "Rand was…is my Warder. I have a commitment to him." She said but she was frowning. "I…He has a destiny. I could feel it as soon as I saw him. To learn that he was _ta'veren_ only confirmed my thoughts. With his recent confrontations with the latest Dreadlord of this age, I am certain that he will be essential in holding back what could be the second Trolloc Wars. Already he has bound Andor and Shienar together, he has even drawn in the Aiel. Maybe Rand al'Thor will be the next Artur Hawkwing."

"Light!" Egwene breathed in.

"If you want, I will teach you some of what I know. Perhaps you will be the Aes Sedai that will stand by him as Rand fights the shadow." Alanna said thoughtfully. "Perhaps that is my place in the pattern. Imagine…an Artur Hawkwing who had allowed Aes Sedai to help him. Rand al'Thor could be very great indeed."

"I would be honoured if you would teach me, Alanna Sedai." Egwene whispered hoarsely.

Nynaeve grunted, but she nodded reluctantly. As Alanna swept through the infirmary doors, she saw Perrin at the other end of the room. His eyes were golden and wide, and Nynaeve suppressed a shiver at those knowing and wolf-like eyes and sent a dark glower back at Perrin, who shrugged it off.

* * *

Elayne had collapsed the same day in fevers and chills, her body trembling and pale as it was bought to the infirmary. Perrin was in the infirmary as Alanna had tended her quickly and relayed to Egwene and Nynaeve that she had the power-wrought illness from channelling the day of the fight, when she had shielded Rand from the fires of Slayer. 

"She seems to be loyal to Rand," Alanna mused. "Maybe I should do for her what I doing for you."

"Or maybe Rand is loyal to her." Nynaeve broke in sharply. "You act if Rand is a king."

Alanna's lips curved upwards. "King Rand. I like it." She murmured and swept away, leaving a gaping Nynaeve behind.

Perrin bit back a smile, not quite used to anybody leaving Nynaeve as flummoxed as she was, and watched as she stalked from the infirmary, her hand tugging at her braid. Perrin wouldn't have been surprised if Nynaeve had started a fistfight with the Aes Sedai right there and then, almost taken aback by the amount of anger and frustration he could smell.

* * *

_Three days after the battle_

Min sat next to Rand, her hand squeezing his as she gazed at his face. It looked so peaceful as he slept, the lines draining from his eyes and the constant wariness that perpetrated his body nonexistent. The door creaked as it opened and Min turned her head to see a weak looking Elayne walking in. A fussy young woman had her mouth in a tight line of disapproval as she lead her in but Elayne ignored her and carefully sat down, her cheeks pale but her eyes bright.

"I have the sickness that comes from first wielding the One Power." Elayne explained, a small smile tugging her lips. "Fevers and chills really."

"Oh. Are you feeling better?" Min asked in concern.

Elayne nodded, her red-gold curls bobbing up and down and the two girls sat there, side by side at their vigil over Rand. One was twenty years old, the other sixteen.

"You don't like me, do you?" Min suddenly asked abruptly and she knew the truth when Elayne didn't say anything, but merely stared at her impassively.

Min sighed and Elayne looked up as a bustling woman with an apron bustled into the room, her motherly face showing concern as she carried in vials and powders, placing them on the table

"Come on dear, let's see if we can remove the after-effects of this fever," The woman had said and Elayne had blushed slightly, glancing at Min who pretended to look away. Inwardly, Min sighed. Elayne's dislike of her would make things hard in the future, especially when it concerned Rand.

* * *

_Several Hours later_

"Hello, you must be Egwene," Gawyn said, smiling at the dark-haired girl. It was her turn to watch Rand. Alanna had put Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne, and herself on a roster; to make sure that at least one woman who could channel was always with Rand. The fiery Aes Sedai believed that Eladia was plotting something, since the Red Sister had been curiously silent the past few days.  
Egwene almost gaped at the most handsome man she had ever seen. "You must be Gawyn," she said faintly.

Gawyn nodded as he cast a look at the sleeping figure of Rand, frowning. "What's wrong with him?" He asked worriedly.

"Alanna thinks it's a mixture of exhaustion and the _Saidin_ Rand used. Since Alanna thinks that this is only the second time that he has channelled this amount of power, his body had to adapt to the changes." Egwene answered.

Gawyn nodded, a thoughtful frown on his face. "I suppose you haven't seen Galad in here, have you?"

"Galad? That's Rand's half-brother, isn't it?" Egwene asked.

Gawyn laughed softly. "He doesn't seem to think much of Rand at the moment, or how his mother could leave him here while she went off and had another child in an affair. She was married before she vanished you know. Well, I better go see if I can find him. He has been skulking around the palace ever since he was healed. He should thank the light that it was not worse."

Egwene watched as he left the room, before an unbidden blush came to her face. Not even Rand looked as handsome as Gawyn had! She sighed, then blushed and glanced around, hoping nobody had heard her act like a moon-struck fool. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the exercises Alanna had been showing her. She couldn't embrace _Saidar _quite yet, but Alanna said that she was showing much promise.

Nynaeve, on the other hand, was not going quite so well. Unless she was angry at something, which wasn't quite a rare occurrence for the Wisdom, she couldn't channel.

As the feelings of calmness and peace washed over her, Egwene wondered if the stories of love on first sight were true. She certainly felt they were at that moment.

* * *

It was five days after the battle in Caemlyn palace before Rand woke up. For a minute, he stared at the white roof through half-closed eyes, but he felt refreshed and rejuvenated and he sat up, shaking his head to remove the lingering effects of sleep. He was dressed in white bedclothes and his wounds all seemed to have been healed. 

Next to him, sitting in a chair, Elayne was gazing out a large window, where a clear blue sky could be seen from the bed.

"Elayne…" Rand said and Elayne swung her face to him. For a moment they stared at each, Elayne showing relief and joy and Rand frowning at her pale face and tired eyes.

"Rand!" Elayne whispered and with a cry of joy, she jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around him. Rand stiffened in surprise but hesitantly returned the hug, placing his arms gently around her.

"Where's Slayer?" Rand asked quickly as he pulled away. "I remembering him leaving…did he come back?"

Elayne sighed softly, muttering something about men and swords, and sat back in her seat, composed and cool once again. "Slayer fled and we haven't seen him since." She replied. "Your battle left a mark on the palace, they are still trying to clean up the mess."

Rand nodded, before he caught himself. "You mean…"

"Everybody saw you channel _Saidin_," Elayne told him and Rand groaned, numbness filling him as he flopped back onto the pillow underneath him.

"So, how come Eladia hasn't taken me to the Tower and tried to gentle me again?" Rand asked bitterly.

Elayne smiled thinly. "Mother has forbidden it." She said. Her face suddenly went blank and she leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell me you were the son of Tigraine?"

Rand shrugged carelessly. "I didn't find out until I fought Slayer in the Eye of the World. He mentioned the name, and back in Two Rivers, when I heard that a Lord Luc had arrived, the only brother of a former Daughter-Heir named Tigraine…it wasn't to hard for me to make the conclusions."

Elayne nodded and observed Rand, a small smile curving on her lips. "Your lucky that I don't beat you silly for making me…us, all think you were dead."

Rand almost squirmed under her gaze but he managed a small grin. "In a way, I think I was. I was trapped Elayne…trapped in a whirlwind of Light…" He shuddered, the smile on his face gone. "It's something I'll never forget. Light only knows how I had managed to escape…I was in the Eye of the World for eight months."

Elayne placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. "Be calm." She said soothingly. "You are in Caemlyn now, you are safe."

"Not for long," Rand muttered. "Elayne, how long do you think it will be before Eladia managed to take me to Tar Valon? Your mother will not directly oppose the White Tower in this. To her I am a simple guard…Light; to her I could be a potential rival! Sooner or later, the Aes Sedai will capture me again."

"They will never take you as long as I have a say in it!" Elayne said sharply.

"And what happens when you no longer have a say in it?" Rand asked softly.

Elayne was silent, her brows furrowed. "I…" She started, before shaking her head. "It is customary for all Daughter-Heirs to train in Tar Valon, even if they do not have the gift. My mother has been there and so will I. If they try to take you away…I will break that tradition and ensure that no Queen of Andor ever returns to Tar Valon!" She finished strongly.

"I…Elayne…" Rand struggled to find words, before shaking his head and smiling. "Burn this! Let's worry about it later. Right now, I'm just glad to be awake. I think that every Aes Sedai in Tar Valon could walk through that door and I still wouldn't…Light! Egwene? Nynaeve?"

The two girls in question had just walked through the infirmary door, and Rand looked absolutely gob smacked before he pealed off into a round of laughter.

"Light Elayne, how long have I been asleep?" He asked, still laughing.

"Only three days," Nynaeve said crisply as she briskly made her way to Rand's side, her hands touching Rand's forehead as she felt his temperature. She frowned thoughtfully as Egwene smiled hesitantly, taking a seat next to Egwene. Her dark eyes seemed to glow, but something like anxiety floated in them and she was biting her lower lip worriedly.

"Then how did…" Rand started.

"We followed you." Egwene answered before he had finished his sentence.

"You seem fine," Nynaeve concluded. She placed a hand on Rand's chest and suddenly her face grew stony, her eyes flashing. "Light! You are a fool Rand! A total wool-headed fool! What were you thinking running off with Mister Cauthon's best horses! And raiding Mistress al'Vere's larder…you're lucky I don't strap you this very moment!"

Rand was taken aback at her sudden hostility, before goosebumps suddenly sprouted on his arms. He glanced down, just as a wave of ice swept over him. He yelped…yes, yelped in surprise and his toes curled up, as his blood was ice, rushing through him from head to feet. Suddenly it was all over and Nynaeve stepped back, a proud gleam in her eyes. Rand was still shivering and buried himself in his woollen blankets.

"Light Nynaeve!" He croaked. "Give me a flaming warning before you use that blasted Aes Sedai healing on me! Have you…" Rand suddenly went very silent as he stared at Nynaeve in total amazement. He felt as if his eyes were going to fall out of his head.

"Language Rand al'Thor. I would expect that from Mat, not you." Nynaeve reprimanded.

"Alanna Sedai is teaching us how to channel," Egwene said after a moment's silence. "She says that I'm the strongest female channeler in a thousand years! And Nynaeve is even stronger than I am!"

Nynaeve sniffed as she sat down. "So before you get a bloated head about your little tricks, know that if you better not make mischief with them back home."

Rand stared at her, before turning to Elayne. "Is this true?" He asked in shock.

"I just said it was!" Nynaeve muttered darkly as Elayne nodded.

"I can also channel, just as strongly as Egwene…though I've recently gotten pass the illness that one gets when channelling for the first time." Elayne admitted. "Alanna Sedai said she would help me learn. I suppose I could wait to go to the White Tower in a year or two, but at the moment I'm not sure if I will go at all. So it is best if I take whatever training she offers me."

Rand nodded slowly. "What illness?" He asked.

"When a female, or male," Nynaeve added. "Channels for the first time, they get sick. They recover and a few more times after that, the sickness dies away as they channel more and more from the True Source."

"The sickness is what kept you in bed for so long." Egwene added.

"I was sick? But I…" Rand stopped. When the Aes Sedai had taken him from Baerlon, he remembered feeling nauseous and feverish and he didn't know how long he had lay in the back of that caravan before he had felt better. And after the Eye of the World…his sickness had lingered on. If this illness showed up when one first started channelling, then this would explain his fevers and sickness for the better part of a month. And now…his fevers and chills had barely lasted five days.

"That makes sense." Rand said slowly.

"Of course it does." Nynaeve sniffed. "Whatever Alanna says must make sense." She finished bitterly.

Rand looked puzzled and Egwene sighed. "Rand, Nynaeve is what the Aes Sedai call a wilder. She channelled the One Power without instruction, which is dangerous. Most women who do this die, but those that do survive managed to block themselves in some way from _Saidar._ Nynaeve can only channel when she is angry, that is her block."

"If I wanted him to know that, I would have told him." Nynaeve grumbled, tugging her long braided hair.

"Elayne, where's my sword?" Rand asked carefully.

Elayne frowned but she reached under the bed and carefully pulled out his sword, it's heron-marked hilt poking from its long, black scabbard. Rand took the sword almost reverently and as his hand touched the hilt, light and warmth filled him as he drank eagerly from _Saidin. _The sword was a link to his only source of the power, and was so much more precious to him now than it was a week ago. _Saidin _filled him and Rand conquered it, standing in the middle of a maelstrom of chaos and power.

"Rand?" Elayne asked worriedly.

"This is the link," Rand said hollowly, a side effect from the Void. "The link to untainted _Saidin._"

Elayne nodded slowly, but Egwene and Nynaeve almost flinched at the mention of the notorious and hated name. They each gazed at his sword as Rand held it; his eyes glazed over before he came to his senses and slowly…and reluctantly…let _Saidin _go. It was like watching the world become a duller place, the smells, sights, sounds and tastes were all pale shadows of what they were when one was embraced with _Saidin._

"Rand!" Somebody hollered from the doorway. Rand looked up sharply as Mat entered the room, and his mouth almost dropped open again. Gone were his plain brown woollen clothes and he now wore a set of black trousers with silver snakes embroidered down the thighs, with a dark blue silk shirt and a green high collared coat. Mat noticed his gaze and he grinned his familiar mischievous smile.  
"I've been lucky in the games." Mat explained as he stood by Rand's bed. "You have to see the new quarterstaff I have! And Rand…look at my purse! Twenty gold crowns! Twenty! Light, I'm the richest person in all of Two Rivers now!"

"You are also the most big-headed and foolish!" Nynaeve said haughtily and Mat blinked in surprise, as if he had just noticed that she was in the room.

"Where's Perrin?" Rand asked Mat, who grimaced.

"Probably walking around with the giant wolf of his. It never leaves his side!" Mat said, shuddering slightly.

"Wolf?" Rand asked in amusement.

"A giant thing, with drooling teeth and gleaming eyes!" Mat said dramatically, but he grinned and scratched his head. "It is a bit cute…but don't you dare tell Perrin that."

Rand could only laugh, shaking his head in amusement and Mat grinned, his eyes twinkling, before a startled look appeared on his face as he was pushed roughly from the door.

"What was that for?" He cried out, throwing his hands in the air in bewilderment as he turned to face the person who had pushed him.

"You weren't moving." Min said, a touch innocently and she glanced at him until he sighed, muttering something under his breath

Elayne stiffened at the sight of Min but Egwene managed a half-smile, rising to greet her.

"Hello sheepherder," Min said carelessly as she strode in the room. Her hair was short as usual but her clothes were different. Gone were the boy's breeches, instead she was wearing a shirt of red silk and black trousers. "No need to goggle."

Rand closed his mouth. "Is everybody trying to surprise me today?" He asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Mat grumbled as he sat down.

"So, what do we do now?" Rand asked from his bed.

"Are you well enough to walk?" Elayne asked him, her hand fluttering over his, and Rand nodded.

"Light, I could probably work through the sword forms right now." Rand said. He got up, leaning on the bed slightly before he let go. He wobbled for a bit, but he regained his balance quickly and grinned at his audience.

"You have new clothes in the wardrobe." Elayne said, and her cheeks went slightly pink. "We'll leave, so you can get changed in peace."

Mat nodded quickly and left the room, followed by Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve. Min stood there, a small smile gone from her lips.

"I knew you wouldn't die," She said abruptly. "You're going to fight Slayer again. I've seen your last battle, there will be rain and bodies and beast-creatures…I think they were Trollocs. You'll be about a year older than you are now, Light, it could only be months!"

Rand stared at her retreating back, before she closed the door and left him alone to ponder her words.

Five minutes later, Rand stepped out with an uncomfortable look on his face. His clothes were fine silks, red and golden vines stitched onto a pure black shirt, while his pants were made of the same material and design. The coat around his shoulders was a dark crimson, with golden spirals and crimson twirls. His sword had been strapped to his waist and it seemed like an extra arm, something that belonged in his body. The six guards on duty snapped to attention and stood, their backs straight.

"Light Rand!" Mat snorted with laughter, but grunted painfully when Elayne and Min simultaneously dug their elbows into his ribs. He muttered something again…he really was getting quite good at that, and glared balefully at both girls who stared innocently back.

Egwene eyed him up and down and looked very impressed. "Rand, you look like a Lord from the stories." She told him.

"That's because he is a Lord," Elayne said, smiling slightly. "You look very handsome in those clothes, much more handsome that a shepherd should look." She cast a side-along look at Min, who shrugged and smiled at Elayne, gesturing for her to continue. Elayne faltered for just a second before she regained her composure.

"Come," She said as she took Rand's arm. "Our food is ready for us."

She led him away from the infirmary, with the rest of the group trailing behind as she led him to the Great Hall. Inside, a long crystal chandelier hung gracefully from the roof. Rand was staring at the long table at the end of the Hall, where the Queen rose gracefully as did half a dozen other people with familiar faces. Rand couldn't help but smile as Tallanvor and Huin stood stiffly, their traditional soldiers armour gone for more appropriate clothes. They looked extremely uncomfortable, but Huin have a beaming smile at Rand and Tallanvor inclined his head.

Next to Tallanvor, Alanna was dressed in beautiful green silks that emphasised rather than showed her figure. Her dark hair was gleaming in the light and her fiery eyes radiated satisfaction. Next to her, Lord Dremenden and Jania stood there. Lord Dremenden had nothing short of awe and respect that almost touched on reverence as stared at Rand, while Rand had never seen Jania look so happy. Gawyn and Galad sat close to the Queen. Gawyn smiled at Rand, and his eyes flickered over towards Egwene and the smile deepened. Galad sat stiffly, his back straight and his expression

"I am afraid that the Aiel women that accompanied you on your quest could be not contacted." The Queen said loudly as the group approached. "Nonetheless, I am certain that you are more than pleased to see your old friends again."

"You Majesty," Rand said and bowed low, his forehead straining to touch the ground as he knelt down on one knee.

"Rise," Morgase said in a melodious voice. Rand did so, aware of Elayne, Egwene, Min curtsying, while Mat and Nynaeve fumbled slightly. Mat most likely didn't know what to do and Nynaeve was too proud to bow to anybody, but at least they had tried.

"Sit with us and eat," Morgase offered as she gestured to the half-a-dozen empty chairs at the table.

* * *

Perrin walked in the bustling town of Caemlyn, Flash faithfully at his heels. Every now and then he or the wolf would get an odd look by passers-by but Perrin ignored them, or stared at them with his gleaming golden eyes until they flinched and turned away. The Daughter-Heir's bodyguard was the topic on everybody's lips. It was almost surprising how many people didn't actually know Rand's name yet they were content to fling rumours about. So far, Perrin had heard that Rand was an Aiel Warrior, the second coming of Artur Hawkwing and a Darkfriend. Light, he had even heard that Rand was an Aes Sedai and one grizzled man who had drunk far to much ale had claimed that Rand had to be the Dragon Reborn. The silence in the bar was almost eerie until the man had burped and fell to the ground in the sleep of alcohol. Perrin had quickly left as some members of the bar looked murderous. 

What the common people did know was that Rand could channel untainted _Saidin, _this the Queen had personally addressed to the Lord's and Ladies of Andor, who in turn told everybody they knew. A lot of people were feeling very wary at the moment; an Aes Sedai was bad enough to understand but a man who could channel who was _not _going to go insane? The idea was mind boggling and contradicted everything they had heard since the moment they had been born.

The roles of Perrin and Mat in the fight had been hushed down. There had been mutters of those who had heard wolf howls, before the Palace had shuddered and a window had blown with fire erupting out of it, and one woman claimed that her brother worked at the Palace and that he had dragged off several wolf bodies. But mostly, Perrin was not recognised and appeared to be a simple boy with a very large dog.

_I am wolf! _

Flash looked indigent, picking up on his thoughts, and Perrin laughed softly.

_Other two-legs think you are dog_. Perrin explained. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that Flash had given the wolf equivalent to a sniff. Suddenly she stiffened and Perrin frowned as anxiousness came from her. They were standing not to far from the gates that let people into the Inner Wall, and Flash whined and pressed herself against the shadows of a stone building.

_Female-who-wields-sun-and-fire-and-thunder! _

That was an extremely complex name that the wolves gave Aes Sedai and Perrin stiffened, flattening his back against the wall. Men and women flowed to and from the gates, laughing and chatting happily, but every single one of the, gave way to a procession of women. There were at least twenty of them and while most of them were wearing red shawls, some wore green and there was one wearing white. Perrin knew that these indicated Ajah's of the Aes Sedai and his blood went cold. Their ageless faces gave away their true nature, as well as their Great Serpent rings. Eight Men flanked the women, their clothes flickering and blending into the moving background. They were all physically different, but each of them had a face of stone, eyes of steel and a walk that would make a cat envious.

"Warders…" Perrin whispered to himself. They probably belonged to the Green Sisters; even Perrin knew that the Red Ajah did not bond warders.

The women were calm and cool, and people bowed or curtsied awkwardly as they glided past. A woman from the crowd stepped out, her clothes pinning her down as a noble. But her face…Perrin recognised the face as Eladia, the Aes Sedai who wanted to take him and Rand back to Tar Valon. Light! She had sent for more sisters!

_Shadowkiller is in danger_. Perrin desperately thought to Flash, who growled lowly, her fear of the Aes Sedai easily overtaken by her odd protectiveness of Rand 'Shadowkiller' al'Thor.

_We hunt? _

_No. We warn pack._ Perrin said and quickly and quietly, he slunk into the shadows of the backstreets of Caemlyn. He had to get to the Palace before the Aes Sedai did!

* * *

It took Perrin ten minutes to sprint back to the palace. His face, which was normally peaceful, was contorted in determination and people took one glance at him and quickly stepped aside. The wolf at his heels also encouraged those who didn't want to move by snapping and snarling at anybody who came close. The guards at the gates knew who he was and must have seen the terrible urgency on his face because they hurriedly opened the gates and Perrin didn't need to stop as he entered the Inner City. From there, it was a two-minute sprint for Perrin, who despite the urgency was enjoying himself. With Flash panting happily next to him, he entered the palace and quickly made his way to the infirmary. 

Perrin moved past the startled guards and burst open the door, before groaning audibly. The bed was empty and Rand was gone! Next him, Flash sniffed and growled unsurely. With a room that had been entered and exited so many times and by so many people, scents were hard to pick up. Perrin could smell the lingering perfumes that Elayne wore, the musty smell that Min's clothing usually generated and the stale ale and smoke that must be from Mat.

"Who took him?" Perrin asked, walking out quickly and addressing the guards.

Two guards exchanged looks of confusion. "The Lady Elayne," One of them answered. "For lunch with the Queen."

"He's awake?" Perrin asked, blinking in shock. "No, no! Never mind. Listen; stop the next person who comes to this door. Pretend that Rand is still in there. No, he is in there and this lunch is just a silly rumour, right?"

The guard nodded quickly, but a worried frown was on his face. "What's going on?"

"I think there are Aes Sedai trying to kidnap him," Perrin told him bluntly. The guard flinched, while his companion stepped back warily. "They won't hurt you. Remember their oaths…they can't use the Power to harm somebody unless they're in danger. So appear non-threatening but firm."

The guards nodded cautiously as Perrin quickly hurried away.

"Rand!" Perrin hollered as he burst into the doors of the Great Hall. He ignored Nynaeve's angry stare and Egwene's frown of disapproval as he strode quickly across the length of the room.

"Perrin," Rand greeted, smiling as he stood up. "What's…"

"Rand, Eladia just met twenty or so Aes Sedai at the City Gates." Perrin spoke rapidly. He breathed in deeply, finally allowing himself to rest, and continued. "Most of them wore red shawls but there was some warders and green shawls as well. I think they're coming here to take you to Tar Valon."

Rand paled slightly and sat back down, grabbing his wine cup. He nursed it silently as Alanna stood up furiously and began to walk away from the table, her fiery eyes glinted and her back stiff. Whichever Aes Sedai she happened upon would flinch at her barbed tongue if she left and Rand sighed.

"Alanna," Rand called and Alanna stopped. "You should stay here. If those Aes Sedai find out that you're meaning to go against them, you would get into a lot of trouble."

Alanna frowned but slowly sat back down, her eyes dark and cloudy. Mat and Perrin were talking softly, while Nynaeve and Egwene seemed to be arguing with each other over something.

"Would they truly kidnap him from the Palace?" Lord Dremenden asked Queen Morgase in worry.

"They will not take him." Queen Morgase said, appearing unconcerned. "I have already spoken to Eladia about this and she knows the consequences of disobeying me."

Lord Dremenden nodded, but he hesitated. "Your Majesty, it is my experience that Aes Sedai do what they feel is in their best interests, regardless of the cost. That is to say, Eladia could very well disobey you if she thinks that Lord Rand is important enough to suffer the consequences."

Queen Morgase nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. Next to Lord Dremenden, Jania leaned closer to Rand.

"What will you do if they try to take you?" She asked softly, her face filled with absolute worry and concern over him. Rand had noticed the case of hero-worship she had for him and while it made him feel embarrassed, it also felt satisfying that somebody though that he was that important.

"Run." Rand said firmly. "I can make it out of the palace by myself and easily leave. Perrin will have to come with me as well if what I was told is correct. I remember the tale of a Warder who had Perrin's talent, and the Red Sisters tried to gentle him."

Perrin shuddered and Mat frowned.

"Could they?" He asked. "Gentle him, I mean. If he can't channel, then it wouldn't work, would it?"

"Exactly." Rand said grimly. "If they are trying to sever the parts of his mind that lets a man channel and it isn't there, then what would they sever instead?"

Mat nodded reluctantly. "So, are we going to fight?"

Rand hesitated. "Maybe," He answered carefully and Mat groaned.

"Light! Fighting a Darkhound is one thing, fighting an Aes Sedai is another!" Mat muttered.

"They will recognise Egwene and Nynaeve as women who can channel." Alanna said to Rand worriedly. "And women who are not under the control of the White Tower. They will take them, with or without their permission, and there will be nothing anybody could do to stop them."

"You sound upset." Rand commented. "Aren't you an Aes Sedai? Don't you want them to go to the White Tower?"

Alanna eyed him, a stony look on her face. "I have a vested interest in keeping them away from Tar Valon. They are your friends and women you grew up with. If the White Tower learns this, and they will, then they will use them to get you."

"I think we should leave, your Majesty." Rand told the Queen, who eyed him carefully. "It's better for everybody if we aren't here when they get here. Lord Dremenden is right, the Aes Sedai might take me regardless of what your highness says."

The Queen nodded slowly and gestured for Elayne and Gawyn. "Daughter, son, go with them and make sure that they are given the fastest horses in the stables. If you require money…"

"Oh, I got enough of that." Mat said, grinning slightly as he held up a small bag that clinked every time it moved. The Queen stared at him flatly and his grin wavered, and he lowered the bag hastily as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

Elayne and Gawyn quickly stood up, their faces serious and alert. Nynaeve and Egwene had stopped arguing and were watching expectantly.

"So, who's going?" Rand asked loudly.

"I have to." Perrin answered quietly, and the wolf by his side gave a short bark, and he grinned slowly.

"Light Rand, if I don't go with you them you won't have anybody normal to idolise." Mat grumbled. "I have my belongings in a palace room, let me go and get them and I'll meet you at the stables."

Rand nodded and Mat quickly left, just as Min stood up and wiped the back of her mouth with her sleeve.

"You really are a Woolhead if you think that I would stay behind." She said, but the affectionate look in her eyes belayed her words. "Besides, I've had enough Aes Sedai poking around at my talents to last a lifetime. If I stay, they'll start it all over again."

"Egwene and I have to come," Nynaeve spoke. She tugged her braid, more out of nervousness than anything else, and Egwene nudged her with an elbow, and Nynaeve scowled slightly. "We would like Alanna to come with us and continue our training."

Alanna smiled at the girls affectionately. "I was planning on riding with you." She said, a pleased look on her face. "Your talents are too great for them to go to waste."

Egwene looked pleased, and Rand eyed Alanna curiously.

She stared back at him mysteriously. "I once told you that you had a destiny. I intend to see you to fulfil it."

Rand shook his head at her typical Aes Sedai mysteriousness. "I suggest that will all get anything we want to take with us and meet at the stables." He said.

"I have your pack with me Rand," Min said. "I took it from the horses after the battle. I'll get it from my room when I get my one."

Rand nodded and turned to the Queen. He knelt down, his head bowed and on one knee. "Your Majesty," He intoned.

"Rise." Morgase said exasperatedly. "I knew I shouldn't have left Gareth to your training. You can be just as irritating as he is sometimes."

"Where is the Captain-General?" Rand asked curiously.

"In the Mountains of Mist, supervising the Queen's Guard and making sure that the Whitecloaks are behaving." Gawyn answered from the side. His eyes were staring anxiously at the door as if he expected it to burst open any minute. "Rand, you better hurry if you want to avoid the Aes Sedai."

Rand quickly bowed to Lord Dremenden and Jania, the girl curtsying back with a large blush, before he quickly left the table.

Elayne and Gawyn started for the doors and everybody followed as Rand fell next to Elayne.

"What will you do if we get stopped?" Rand asked her in a whisper.

Elayne had an imperious look on her face, which could have stopped the most boisterous child in the world from misbehaving and her eyes glinted. "You will see." She answered.

Just as they had almost reached the end of the Great Hall, the doors opened and Eladia walked, followed by four Aes Sedai. For a moment both groups stopped, Rand quickly placing a hand on his sword. Ageless faces stared at him, ignoring everybody else and suddenly, just as Rand embraced _Saidin,_ goosebumps prickled on his arms. He was positive that whenever that happened, he could feel a woman channelling, and it was true because as liquid power flowed into his veins, a maelstrom and whirlwind of light and chaos that he fought against as viciously as if he had been fighting a Myrddraal, something hard and cold attempted to slide in between him and the _Saidin_. There were a few seconds as the block grew harder and colder, and Rand clung to _Saidin _by his fingertips, his mind wrapped deep within the Void. It was an eternal struggle and Rand could feel himself slipping. He lashed out with the tiniest of power, the most he could muster at the moment, but it worked and suddenly one of the Aes Sedai gave a cry of pain and crumpled to the ground. The block suddenly became weaker and Rand bought as much of the liquid light to bear as he could. _Saidin _raged and suddenly the block snapped and withered away, and Rand lifted his free hand.

He channelled, and flows of air suddenly snagged the arms and legs of two Aes Sedai, who fell to the ground. Rand wove something instinctively…a mixture of spirit earth and water…and Eladia and the last Sister suddenly were floating in the air upside down with their feet connected to the roof by a long glowing strand of _Saidin _only visible to Rand.

Still wrapped in the Void, Rand channelled two last weaves of _Saidin, _the avalanche of power still roaring through him. The first weave was a complicated mixture of all five powers that wrapped around all of the Aes Sedai. They all suddenly shrieked, their fingers clawing for something that wasn't there. Rand hesitated as he moved to tie the weave off, leaving it active until somebody else who could channel _Saidin _removed it. But he didn't, making sure that it would only last an hour or so. The second weave was something he had memorised from the book and water and spirit drove into the Aes Sedai, who all suddenly slumped as they fell asleep. He released the Void and _Saidin _and sagged, looking at his handiwork. It had all been over in seconds.

"That…" Alanna trailed off, staring at Rand with a troubled expression. "I had thought that Nynaeve was powerful, and she is. But you…there were five Aes Sedai trying to shield you from _Saidin_!"

Rand shrugged uncomfortably. "Shouldn't we be leaving now?" He asked Elayne, who nodded.

The group travelled throughout the corridors of the palace. Elayne seemed to know where every side door and servant hallway was and so far, nobody had stumbled upon them. As Elayne led them around another corner, she suddenly stopped as she came face to face with an Aes Sedai, with golden hair and blue eyes. Rand stiffened as he embraced _Saidin _in an instant, with weaves formed in his mind as he prepared to channel when Alanna stepped forward.

"Stop!" She commanded as she eyed the Aes Sedai down. A large well-built man stood next to the Aes Sedai, his eyes hard and eyeing Rand down, his eyes flickering over the hand Rand had on his sword.

"Alanna," The Aes Sedai said and a relieved smile came on her face.

"Estelle." Alanna greeted and smiled gently. "I hadn't thought to see you here."

"Eladia called any sister within a five days ride to Caemlyn. I was in Whitebridge when I received the pigeon." The Aes Sedai, Estelle it seemed, said. She eyed Rand up and down. "So, this is the man Eladia wants to take back to the Tower? I heard many interesting rumours in town, such as that he could channel untainted _Saidin._ Is this true Alanna?"

Alanna nodded. "This is Rand al'Thor," She said.

"You warder?" Estelle blinked, before a lazy smile appeared on her face. "Ah. So that's why you're defying Eladia to help him."

Alanna blushed slightly but kept her head high.

"Well, I won't stop you." Estelle said. "Drevdan and I didn't find anybody in our search, right Drevdan?"

The large warder nodded and relaxed an inch, but still looked like he was ready to pounce.

"Estelle, I want to ask a favour from you." Alanna said hurriedly. "Remember that time in Saldea, when I helped you with that little…problem…of yours."

Estelle choked, her cheeks staining with crimson. "Yes!" She exclaimed, her voice high-pitched. "I though that we had agreed never to speak of that!"

"I want you to repay the favour." Alanna said quickly. She motioned to Elayne, who blinked. "This is the Daughter-Heir of Andor. She is strong in the power, stronger than any Sister alive today. I have to leave, but I want you to see if you can be appointed the Queen's Advisor in place of Eladia and teach her all you know. There is a good chance that Morgase will be furious with the White Tower after today. See to it that you encourage her not to send Elayne to Tar Valon."

Estelle was looking slightly confused, but she mirrored her face to that of her warder. "I do not understand." She said. "But I'll do what I can. But only because you're my friend Alanna,"

Alanna nodded at Estelle and turned to Elayne. "If you want to continue from what I have started teaching you, listen to Estelle. You can trust her with anything, I trust her with my life."

Elayne nodded carefully as Alanna swung back to Estelle.

"I will send you a message later and try to explain what I am doing," Alanna promised.

"Goodbye Alanna," Estelle murmured and stepped aside. Elayne blinked and quickly led the group past the Aes Sedai.

* * *

It was a few minutes later when Rand watched the stable-hands hurry as Gawyn and Elayne barked orders, when Min and Mat returned, their hands full of bulging packs. 

"Here, we have everybody's packs." Mat grumbled as he let them fall to the ground.

As everybody leant down to take his or her packs, Nynaeve and Perrin jumped up on the first two saddled horses. Alanna and Min were talking lowly and Mat was leaning on the wall, his arms crossed and sending disgruntled glares at Nynaeve.

"I bought that horse," He said loudly, throwing a dark look at the stallion she was riding.

"Mat, be quiet." Nynaeve snapped and he glared at her even harder, but sighed in defeat and got on another horse.

Elayne took Rand by the arm and led him away. Behind him, Gawyn started leading another group of the saddled horses and Egwene went to help him, blushing prettily as his hand brushed hers. Alanna took one of the horses and jumped up with well-practised ease, her skirts lifted up as she settled down in the saddle.

"Rand…there's something I have to tell you." Elayne said softly.

"What is it?" Rand asked, frowning in concern. Elayne was avoiding his eyes nervously while she chewed her bottom lip.

"I…" She started, before a loud gasp and a disapproving voice spat out.

"Egwene!" Nynaeve snapped, tugging her braid and glaring in disapproval. Egwene blushed and she and Gawyn separated from the kiss they were in. Rand blinked in surprise and turned back to Elayne, only to find a mass of golden hair under his eyes and a pair of lips clamped own on his. It was warm and inviting as Elayne wrapped her arms around him, and Rand couldn't help but kiss back. After a few seconds, Elayne let go and stepped back, her cheeks burning but her eyes bright.

"That's what I wanted to say." She said softly. Nynaeve looked on the verge of having a fit of rage, while Mat was smirking and Perrin was smiling. Elayne looked at Min but her feeling of smugness faded as she saw the girl smiling in approval and satisfaction.

"When Estelle completes my training, I want you to come back and become my Warder." Elayne whispered to Rand, who nodded slowly with a small smile of fondness on his face.

"Rand, get on your blasted horse!" Nynaeve snapped angrily. Mat opened his mouth, smirking slightly at Nynaeve, just as she swivelled her head and stopped Mat in his tracks.

Rand slowly mounted his steed and glanced down at Elayne one last time. Behind him, the doors burst open and four severe looking woman with red shawls burst into the room, just as the seven horses bolted from the stables. Rand clutched his sword in one hand and channelled. Weaves of glowing _Saidin _formed, fire and earth mixing and twining together and the ground in front of the Aes Sedai suddenly burst open, and a wall of flames stopped them in their tracks.

It took the Aes Sedai thirty seconds to dispel the wall of flames, but by that time Rand was gone.

* * *

End Chapter 24: Altered Destiny 


End file.
